


Denial, Denial

by scrub_fics



Series: Love for Dummies [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-09-20
Packaged: 2019-10-15 11:34:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 23,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17527967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrub_fics/pseuds/scrub_fics
Summary: Jason was going to kill the replacement.He had vowed to do it before and had given it his best efforts as well, but the kid was more resilient then he cared to admit. But this time? This time he was dead.OrAn undercover mission that goes about as well as you could expect





	1. The Things You Do For Family

**Author's Note:**

> Updates will probably be hella random, but hey - there will be updates
> 
> (Rating will probably go up as well, but we'll see how it goes)

Jason was going to kill the replacement. 

He had vowed to do it before and had given it his best efforts as well, but the kid was more resilient then he cared to admit. But this time? This time he was dead. He didn't care that he was supposedly helping the Bats take down an up-and-coming gang with deep connections to the drug and weapons rings. He didn't care that he had apparently been their only hope. He should have said no to those fucking puppy dog eyes, but when the replacement had the nerve to pair them with the fact that he had a broken leg and neither Bruce nor Damian (or literally anyone else apparently) could go on this mission, he caved. And what a stupid, godawful thing he had gotten himself into because of it.

"Jay?" 

The current source of his immediate agony? None other than Richard fucking Grayson. Jason had tried ignoring him, but considering how they were stuck in a car together for the better part of three hours and Dick never seemed to stop talking, he was running out of luck.

"What."

Then again, no one said he had to be pleasant during said communication.

Dick let out a sigh, eyes focused on the road ahead as he drove. "Look, I know this wasn't exactly your first choice for an undercover mission-"

"That's putting it mildly."

"But," the elder continued, sending Jason a slight glare. "I really do appreciate you helping out, little wing. I would've brought Tim with me, but with his leg broken and all..."

"Yeah, yeah," Jason grumbled. "I got it. Still, why wouldn't you ask Kori or someone?"

Their mission was relatively simple, all things considered. The new gang seemed to be selling and buying mostly in Gotham, but their leads pointed them to a town a few hours away that supposedly acted as their main base (Jason had to give them some credit - not everyone was smart enough to live outside of Gotham while working inside the city, thus making them a bit harder to find). Dick had been going undercover for a few months now, acting as a buyer and building up a fair amount of trust with the resident gang members until he had been able to get information on the boss. That was what had allowed him to get an invitation to the asshole's annual party, which, really made no sense (because honestly, what kind of gang leader throws a fucking house party for his buyers and sellers? This one, apparently).

And that's where Jason comes in. See, Dick needed a plus one to come with him - it would be strange of him not to have some form of arm candy with him when everyone else brought someone, and backup was welcome in these kinds of situations. The first choice had been Tim, as per usual. The replacement could make a hell of a disguise and did a decent acting job - even Jason could (grudgingly) admit that. But then the little shit had gotten his leg broken on patrol, and that narrowed Dickhead's choices down to a rather small number.

Demon spawn was too young, Steph and Cass were in Hong Kong on their own mission, and Bruce needed to patrol the city while Tim was benched. And while there could have been more options (like Kori), the Bats preferred to keep undercover missions within their small circle. That wasn't to say that they didn't get outside help on larger missions, but for Gotham? Well, a good summary would be "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas". So yeah. Jason got dragged into this shit-show, and now has to act completely infatuated with the idiot that was Dick Grayson. Or his undercover persona, he supposed. But still.

"Jason," Dick sighed. "You know why. Kori isn't..." The man paused for a moment, apparently trying to find the correct words to describe the absolute disaster that had been their last undercover mission. Jason (and Tim, no matter what the little bastard said) thought it was hilarious and had probably laughed a little too long when Dick came back and told them what happened. But yeah, point taken.

"Yeah, we all remember that incident Dickhead. But wasn't there literally anyone else you could have asked? Like, anyone?"

Jason had to bite back a snicker when he saw Dick run a hand through his hair, telling him that the frustration of having the present company for the mission was becoming mutual. "Jay, please," the other sighed. And okay, fine. He could tone it down. A bit.

"Look," Jason started. "All I'm sayin' is that I'm not exactly what people would expect for your arm candy. They're probably imagining a drop dead gorgeous babe, and despite my girlish figure, I don't think I qualify for their standards." Not to mention rich assholes that liked to imagine themselves as part of a mob rather than a gang (he'd show them what a real mob boss looked like) probably didn't have the highest opinions of gay couples. They tended to be thick-headed, small-minded idiots that thought themselves to be superior to everyone else and that sleeping with a dude made you less manly. Jason could say from experience that yes, people thought that, and he could also say that most of those idiots tended to leave meetings with the Red Hood in body bags or with more holes in their body then they had showed up with.

"What are you talking about?" Dick answered, confusion coating his words. And that only confused Jason, because wasn't it obvious? 

"Uh," he quirked an eyebrow. "I'm talking about the fact that literally anyone else would have been better for this?"

Dick had the nerve to snort, the asshole. "Jason," he said with an easy grin - the one that kind of made him want to punch those pearly whites because no one had the right to be that pretty. "It'll be fine. They won't say anything because of how important of a buyer I am," let it never be said that a Wayne's money couldn't buy everything, "and they probably won't even think it because they'll be distracted by how hot you are." 

Jason opened his mouth to reply, because while he knew he wasn't ugly and that people tended to stare out of appreciation more than anything else, that wouldn't stop questions from being asked. But then Dick's words fully sunk in, and what?

"I'm sorry," a grin slowly spread onto Jason's lips. "Could you repeat that?" 

Dick huffed, a light flush adorning his cheeks. "Shut up Jay, you know what I mean."

"No no," Jason turned in his seat so he could see the other better. "I wanna hear about how distracting my good looks are and how they're gonna help us finish the mission." 

"You're hot," Dick repeated, "but then you go and ruin it when you open your mouth." 

Jason's grin could only be described as feral at this point. "Right back at'cha, Dickhead." 

Dick rolled his eyes as Jason settled back into his seat with a smug look in his eyes to match his grin. A brief thought of how maybe this wouldn't be too bad dared to cross his mind, but then he squashed it because there was a very, very, very big reason as to why this was a terrible idea. Jason could complain all day about being pulled away from his own cases and how he didn't want to spend any more time than necessary with the golden child, but his main objection boiled down to the main reason why he wanted to kill the replacement. 

Jason had an...issue. As a teen there was no way to avoid just how attractive Dick was, and he didn't have much trouble admitting that the man had taken up a good portion of his more pleasurable thoughts (the same could be said for a vast majority of, well, everyone). To some people, he'd even admit he'd use to like the elder even if he hadn't been around too often. But it was different now. Different because he had thought he was past that stupid crush - thought the pit made sure it was dead. But Dick hadn't stopped in his attempts to bring him 'back to the family' (his success was debatable), and now said crush (as Tim had oh-so helpfully labeled it, despite Jason's harshest protests that ended in reluctant acceptance) was back and the replacement never failed to make sure that Jason knew that he knew. A part of him wondered if the fucker had gotten his leg broken on purpose or was faking it, but at this point it didn't matter. Jason's...feelings were about to become glaringly obvious when his inability to keep his eyes off of Dick at the party became a little too genuine.

When the kisses they would have to share for appearances became longer because he didn't want them to end. 

Fuck.

Jason usually had good control over his emotions and actions now-a-days (unless they involved Bruce, because Bruce would never fail to piss him off no matter what was happening), but this was going to be a test. Because now he was allowed to touch, he was allowed to look, but for a very limited amount of time and only in certain areas. Talk about an exercise in self-control.

"...and I really think this could be a good opportunity for us to get back into the swing of things, y'know?" No, Jason did not know, because he had apparently gotten lost in his thoughts as Dick talked. Again. 

"Yeah, sure," he said instead, able to take what he thought was a very good and accurate guess of what the golden boy had been talking about. Dick probably thought of this as a bonding opportunity, and this time Jason was kind of inclined to agree. Only in a slightly different way that involved little Jason and his right hand more then anything.

"It'll be great little wing," Dick said, flashing his stupidly bright smile at him.

"Oh yeah," Jason drawled, resting his chin on his hand as he looked out the window. "Couldn't think of anything else I'd rather do."


	2. Step One: Come Up With A Game Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason groaned. "Great. Okay, so I have to find this specific tablet or computer, or whatever the hell it is, and I can't access the list from anything else. Or, if the universe really hates me right now, it's all on paper so I couldn't even use a flash drive. And since it's clearly heavily protected, I'll probably have to swipe it off someone without them noticing."
> 
> "Would you rather be doing the talking?"
> 
> "How long do I have to find it?"

Jason found something he'd much rather be doing, and wondered how opposed Dick would be if he stayed in their hotel room through roughly 90% of their mission and only showed up at the party for a short amount of time before leaving again. Because while he still didn't really want to be there, the hotel bed was literally a cloud and he never wanted to leave it. Maybe he could convince the bats that they should smuggle the mattress out as a thank you for his help. Hell, they probably would if he bitched about it enough.

"Comfy?" An amused voice asked him. Jason didn't offer anything in response beside a grunt before burying his face further into the pillow. The damn thing was nicer than the ones at his safe houses, and whoever thought he wouldn't be taking the pillow at the very least had obviously never met him. However, as amazing as the bed was, there was a downside. 

It was the only fucking bed in the room.

So not only did he have to be Dick's arm candy and act ridiculously (and possibly too accurately) smitten with the elder, he had to share a bed with him because neither were willing to take the couch. Tim was dead to him.

"So anyway," Dick started talking again when all Jason wanted was to fall asleep, but apparently he couldn't even have that. "I have a feeling that some of the employees here are working for the man of the hour, Charlie Anderson."

Jason couldn't help but snort. That had to be the most generic name he'd heard in a while. Kinda sucked to be a gang leader and have a name that sounded like it came straight from the suburbs. 

"Not all of them," Dick continued, "but a few were keeping a real close eye on some of the guests and I'm pretty sure that those people are some of the buyers and sellers we'll be meeting later on. That being said, the hotel-"

"Probably has legit customers and workers that have no idea who they're sharing the place with, and therefore we can't just go in a sack 'em all." Jason finished. He had turned his head to the side so that he could speak clearly, despite his eyes still being closed. "And that means," he let out a long-suffering sigh before sitting up and sending Dick the most unimpressed look he could manage. "That it'll be a pain in the ass to figure out who's who until we see who's at the party."

Blue eyes blinked back at him for a few moments before Dick let out a laugh. "Yeah, basically." He agreed. "Though there's gotta be some form of a guest list, we just have to find it."

"Yeah, well," Jason roughly rubbed his hands along his face, already knowing that this mission would leave him completely exhausted. Nothing drained a bat (current member of the exclusive club or otherwise) quite like extended periods of social interaction. 

Except Dick. 

He, as always, seemed to be an exception to the rules. However, if there was one similarity between Jason and everyone else, it was that no one could stand galas or the people in them. He hoped this party was at least a little better than a Bruce Wayne one. 

"The guest list will probably be at the party which means we still gotta go and it's not gonna be fun."

"No, it won't be," Dick said with a sigh, sinking down in his chair. "But we'd have to go even if we got the guest list prior to the party so I could use this identity again. He's got connections, and I don't want to have to start from the ground up again next time I go undercover. Pus, picking names is really annoying." 

Jason tilted his head at Dick. Fair enough. He hated scrapping personas for stupid reasons too, but that didn't mean he had to like it. "So, suffering through a gang house party it is. How long do we have to prepare, and which way you wanna do this?"

They probably could have talked all this through in the car, but Jason had been busy being annoyed with Tim and Dick had been busy singing to whatever song was on the radio in a terribly off-key voice. Any form of communication they had had ranged from passive-aggressive banter to yelling about the radio station. All in all, the only productive thing they had done during the trip was getting to their hotel in one piece. Jason deemed it a rather solid success.

"We have the rest of today and tomorrow. The party starts at 9pm on Friday, so we have to be ready before then." Well, at least it would be a short mission. But sadly, today was already Wednesday and that meant Jason had a very short amount of time with the bed, which was a crime-shame. "And I think we should go with the normal route. We'll go in together and stay together for a while, chat with some people before we separate. You'll get your wish of not having to stick around too long, cause you have to get whatever has the guest list."

Dick crossed his arms and frowned slightly, eyes on the ground. "Our mark is an idiot, but he's not completely stupid. He knows he has people after him, but he's confident in his security. And that means-"

"They'll be checking everyone at the door so no uninvited guests get in," Jason once again finished, this time standing up to stretch. Too bad for this guy. He invited top predators into his house, and his security wouldn't be able to do shit once they were through. "My bet is that it's gonna be electronic, I've only seen a handful of guys who still use paper to track their shit. Which begs the question of where our flash drives and other electronic shit are." 

Dick snorted and used an arm to lazily gesture at his duffle bag. "There's an opening on the inside with a zipper. Tim packed it for me, said that it had everything we needed."

"So basically all the little gadgets he makes in his free time," Jason replied, walking over to the bag.

"Yeah, probably. He's had a fair amount of free time on his hands since he broke his leg, so I can only assume that there's some new stuff in there as well."

"You didn't bother to check?" Jason asked with a snort, opening the duffle bag and reaching to the side to find the zipper. 

"Why would I? It's not like he'd let me take anything out anyway. Probably say that we'd need it, but we just didn't know it yet."

"Yeah, that's true." 

Jason started to pull out everything Tim had packed them, humming when he found a small bag with three flash drives. There were some other things as well, like portable EMPs and pocket tasers and a wide variety of other hand-held gadgets that no one besides Tim and maybe Bruce carried around. One of the benefits of having Tim pack an undercover bag for you was that you never went in unprepared on the electronic side of things. 

"Okay, I think that's everything. He packed all sorts of fancy shit, so we shouldn't have a problem getting access to anything." Jason said as he stood up. 

Dick let out a hum, blue eyes traveling over their new toys. "Yeah, we shouldn't. But Tim said that if there were any issues to just give him a call. Said that he got into our guy's system, but that it looked like it was changed pretty often. Said it got slightly harder to get through each time, but never stopped being a pain in the ass when he had to cover his tracks."

Jason furrowed his brow at that. "Wait, so if the replacement can get into their systems, then why the hell are we here?"

"Cause there was no list," Dick replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "We think they've either got it on paper and are gonna put it on a disposable tablet or something the night of the party, or its got its own little server and protector that's completely different from the mainframe. Hell, they might even keep it on paper if that's where it is now. But like you said, it's not very likely, so we were thinking that it had its own system that wasn't synched with everything else."

Jason groaned. "Great. Okay, so I have to find this specific tablet or computer, or whatever the hell it is, and I can't access the list from anything else. Or, if the universe really hates me right now, it's all on paper so I couldn't even use a flash drive. And since it's clearly heavily protected, I'll probably have to swipe it off someone without them noticing."

"Would you rather be doing the talking?"

"How long do I have to find it?"

Dick gave Jason an amused smile before continuing. "Well, it depends. Chances are I can keep people occupied for a rather long period of time, especially since our guy is known to swing either way."

Well. That was news to Jason. 

"That'll probably distract a good range of people, even if it's just flirting, so time wise I think you're pretty good. But like you said, it kinda depends on where the information is. But we got comms, so tell me how long you think you'll need and I'll do my best to give it to you."

Jason nodded slowly, processing the new information. He really wasn't looking forward to this. Not only would he be going on a manhunt for this stupid list of people, but he'd have to listen to Dick flirting with everyone he could as a form of distraction. Jason could only hope that he didn't end up distracted as well.

"Alright, so we have our general game plan." Jason moved his arms above his head and leaned back, cracking his body in any place he could. "So how about we leave the finer details for tomorrow so I can shower and enjoy this cloud of a bed that I'll probably never get to see once the mission is over?" He lowered his arms with a sigh, rolling his shoulders before looking iver at Dick.

"Oh, um," Dick let out a weird laugh, one that had Jason quirking a brow in question. "Yeah, let's do that. You wanna shower first or...?"

Jason gave the other one last confused glance before moving over to his own duffle bag to pull out his pajamas, toothbrush, and toothpaste. "Yeah, I'll go first. Something tells me you take long showers, and I don't feel like waiting."

He grinned at Dick over his shoulder and got an eye roll in response. "I'll have you know that it's Tim that takes the long showers. And Damian has taken a liking to baths, so in terms of time spent in the bathroom, he's actually in there the longest."

Jason stared for a moment before laughing. "Have to say, I totally expected that and didn't see it coming at all. But you still probably take longer than me, so I'm going first." Dick shrugged, which Jason took as agreement. Gathering his things he headed into the bathroom, an amused smile on his lips as he thought about giving the bat-brat bath bombs for Christmas or something. He could also get Tim a timer - but no, that was actually a terrible idea.

Jason let out a happy sigh when he finally got under the warm water of the shower. Giving Tim gag gifts was great in theory, but that kid was absolutely ruthless in his revenge if you pushed too far. Despite the heat of the water, Jason felt himself shiver as he remembered the first time he had truly pissed off the replacement. It was kind of funny (in a really twisted way) that he could actively try to kill the younger and the rest of the family, hack into his systems, and basically do everything he could to make him suffer, but it was finishing the coffee on a Monday morning that brought on his wrath.

Jason allowed himself to reminisce as he washed up, mainly thinking about how drastically his relationship with the Bats had changed over the years. He and Tim were more brothers then anything else at this point, and that had probably been the biggest shocker with how much animosity he used to feel for the kid. Jason had an understanding with the demon spawn: push too far and you're dead. It worked both ways, and while everyone else was mildly concerned, it worked for them.

Babs, Steph, and Cass were probably his favorite of the group though. He treated them as family before he let anyone else back in, mainly because they didn't treat him like he was a bomb about to explode (except he kind of had been). He liked the no-nonsense attitude that seemed to be a requirement for any batgirl (or close enough to a batgirl in Cass's case), and he treated them the same way.

Then there was Dick and Bruce. The most complicated emotions Jason felt were because of those two, and more often then not, it made him more than a little mad. But he and Dick had made progress. They rarely ever fought seriously anymore, mostly because they had figured out each other's boundaries and knew better then to push them. Bruce was, of course, an entirely different story, but since Jason no longer tried to kill the man, he supposed there was improvement.

Jason allowed himself to stand under the water even though he had finished washing up a few minutes ago, just thinking about the mission and Dick. Once the first robin was in his head, he seemed to never leave. His stupid perfect hair, his dumb blue eyes, his shitty smile...

Jason frowned and quickly turned off the water. Tim had said they could call him if necessary, and he deemed this necessary. He couldn't bitch to Roy about his dilemma at the moment, but the little brat could suck it up since he was the reason he had gotten into this mess in the first place.

Nodding to himself, Jason quickly dried off and pulled on his white T-shirt, boxers, and black and red plaid pants. He brushed his teeth and then left the bathroom, letting out a loud yawn as he did so.

"Your turn Dickiebird," he said before flopping onto the bed once more. Jason distantly heard laughter and debated on sitting back up and fighting the jerk, but decided against it. Instead he wiggled under the blankets and curled up on his side, facing the wall. Yes, this bed was very nice. Before they brought this place down he'd have to ask where they got their mattresses.

"G'night, Jaybird," he heard Dick say rather quietly. He responded with a grunt before burying himself into the sheets. This was going to be the longest-shortest undercover mission he had ever been on. But with the comfort of the knowledge that he would be calling Tim tomorrow to yell (the replacement would probably call it whining, but what the hell did that brat know anyways) about the predicament he was in, he managed to drift off into a comfortable sleep.


	3. Step Two: Learn How to Kill With Words Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Shut up replacement. I still have more words that need to be said."
> 
> "What kind of words?" A new voice chirped, and dear lord, the universe really did hate him. On the other end of the line he could hear Tim laughing, and he was very thankful that Dick couldn't hear that. Small mercies, right?
> 
> "Words that have the ability to kill." Tim's laughter only grew louder, causing Jason's eye to twitch. That kid was so dead once he got back.
> 
> Dick snorted, placing a brown paper bag on the small table by the door before taking off his light jacket. "Ask Zatanna or Constantine. One of them are bound to know something."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tim!!

If Tim didn't pick up his damn phone within the next ten seconds, then Bruce was going to find himself short one more bird. And yes, he had already declared the replacement dead at the start of this mission, but now he was even more dead. So dead that not even the pit could bring him back. Well, he was if he didn't pick up the goddamn phone anyway. 

As it turns out, the bird brain must have some sense of survival instincts as he picked up right before the call could end.

_"Hey Jay, sorry I-"_

"What if that had been an emergency?" Jason interrupted, his free arm moving to wrap around his waist. "We could have died, Timbers. Because you didn't pick up your phone. Aren't teenagers supposed to be glued to their phones?"

Tim let out a huff - the sound bringing a small grin to Jason's lips - before responding. _"If you're done with that,"_ he started, tone rather flat and unimpressed. _"Then I'll tell you why I didn't pick up."_ The younger paused, and once he was sure the elder would let him speak, he continued. _"Because I had been glued to the computer - with my phone at my side, thank you very much - for some amount of time that doesn't even come close to my record, so I don't even know what the big deal was, Alfred decided that I needed sleep. And, well. You know what he says goes."_

Jason couldn't help but internally pout. He'd never allow himself to complete that action outwardly - it was something he'd never live down. But while he knew that Alfred's word was law, his current predicament was important. "Okay, that's good and dandy, but you told Dickhead that we could call whenever and so I'm calling and you better listen."

There was a moment of silence, and for a second Jason thought Tim had hung up. Lucky enough for the Red Robin, he hadn't (the code name never failed to make him crack a smile - once he had gotten over his feelings of betrayal and heard about Tim's knew hero name, Jason had said "yum" whenever they passed by on patrol. He'd nearly been pushed off a roof for his efforts, but his second death was a sacrifice he was willing to make for the sake of the joke).

 _"Alright, alright, I'm listening. But if this involves you whining about Dick again, then you should just be grateful that I wasn't feeling particularly spiteful when I was packing the duffle bag."_ And Jason, well. He didn't really have a good response, because it was a well-known fact that Tim's pettiness was nearly unrivaled. And he said nearly because nothing would top the moment when the manager of a company pissed Bruce off so bad that he bought said company just because he could. But priorities - he had some complaining to do.

"Well, it is about big bird, and you're just gonna have to listen or else I'll tell him that I called and you refused to talk to me. Then you'll be subjected to the disappointed face until you make it up to him, or better yet, me." Another beat of silence, followed by a long-suffering sigh.

_"Okay, point taken. What happened this time?"_

"So glad you asked," Jason started in a faux-cheery tone. "Because did you know that our room only has one bed? Or that Dick latches on to the closest thing to him in his sleep, which just so happened to be me? Because I woke up with one Dick Grayson wrapped around me like an octopus, and let me tell you - if you thought his hugs were impossible to escape when he's awake, well. He somehow managed to top that."

Tim let out a strained noise like he couldn't decide whether to laugh or feel sympathy. Jason felt his patience wearing a bit thin, but Tim replied before he could snap at the younger. _"Okay, so. That's really hard to believe, but I guess I'll take your word for it. And Jason, come on. Are you really telling me that you didn't enjoy being that close to him?"_

Jason pursed his lips. That hadn't been the issue. The issue had been that he liked it a little too much, but hadn't been able to escape to the bathroom until Dick started waking up. Tim didn't need to know that though. "That was a whole new level, Timbo. One I didn't sign up for."

 _"No,"_ Tim agreed. _"But when you finally ask him out you'll have to expect that kind of stuff."_

Jason nearly choked on air.

"Look bat-brat," he hissed out. "I keep telling you that no one is asking anyone out. You know he wouldn't say yes anyway, so why are you harping on me about it? Roy I get, because Roy is an asshole. But you're supposed to be less of an asshole than him, and therefore on my side."

 _"Jason,"_ Tim sighed. _"Me and Roy are both on your side. But as a side note, where even are you that you feel comfortable enough talking to me about this? Cause I know for sure that you're not in one of your safe houses."_

"The room," Jason replied. "Dick left like, twenty minutes ago. He said he was going to get breakfast for us from this bakery he apparently saw on the drive over, and my guess is that he's going to be doing a little snooping around too." 

Tim let out a quiet hum - something that let Jason know that the kid was multitasking - before answering. _"Yeah, makes sense. I'm betting they don't have many cereal options at a hotel like that, so he's probably trying to get his hands on the next best sugary thing available."_ He snorted. _"But hey, gives you time to think of a game plan."_

Jason furrowed his brow as he stood up, walking away from the bed to a window seat that had a rather impressive view. It really was a shame that they had to close this place down, he mused as he got comfortable. "Look, I'm not coming up with a stupid plan. Things are going fine as they are, I don't need any new changes."

_"Well, as much as I disagree with that, I was talking more about how you're going to make it through the party without punching the first person who hits on Dick. Because we both know that's going to happen, and we both know how possessive you can get over things you think are yours. And yes, that is true, don't try to deny it. And don't try to deny that it applies to people as well."_

Jason groaned, dropping his head back against the wall he was leaning on. The worst part was, Tim was right. He was used to having very few things to call his own when he was growing up, so he got very protective of his few belongings. That also applied to his mom, but everyone knows how well that turned out. He'd tried to break the habit, but Roy and Kori could attest to the fact that he failed terribly. And now, apparently the bats had him all figured out. Though, he supposed it wasn't too surprising. They were all detectives, after all. Still, he didn't appreciate being called out, or having his acting skills underestimated. 

"I won't go around punching people," he finally grumbled. "I'll be able to get away with some glares though."

Tim snorted. _"Man, I almost feel bad for whoever's gonna be on the receiving end of that look."_

Jason rolled his eyes. "Yes, har-de-har-har, you're so funny."

_"Glad you agree."_

"Shut up replacement. I still have more words that need to be said."

"What kind of words?" A new voice chirped, and dear lord, the universe really did hate him. On the other end of the line he could hear Tim laughing, and he was very thankful that Dick couldn't hear that. Small mercies, right?

"Words that have the ability to kill." Tim's laughter only grew louder, causing Jason's eye to twitch. That kid was so dead once he got back.

Dick snorted, placing a brown paper bag on the small table by the door before taking off his light jacket. "Ask Zatanna or Constantine. One of them are bound to know something." Jason couldn't help but grin when he heard Tim's protests, choosing to hang up the phone instead of responding to the younger.

"Now isn't that a great idea?" He hummed. "I might just do that. But more importantly, what kind of food did you bring back?" Jason brought his legs to his chest, wrapping his arms around his shins and resting his chin on top of his knees. It wasn't a position he sat in often, but the window seat proved to make said position very comfortable. 

"Oh, uh," Dick faltered for a moment before turning and grabbing the bag. Jason raised an eyebrow at that, as the elder had acted a little strange the previous night as well. "Well, they had a lot of different croissants, and they all looked really good so I got a few different kinds. Though I got two of the ones that have chocolate over it because I figured we wouldn't want to share one, and I got you a blueberry muffin."

Jason held out a hand as Dick approached him, pulling both out with a hungry smile. He pushed Dick's odd behavior to the side - he had more important things to do.

"Your tribute is appreciated," Jason hummed, taking a rather large bite out of the croissant. He distantly heard Dick snort, but he was more focused on how good his breakfast tasted. "Oh my god," he groaned. "Why does this place have to be evil? I'd totally move here if it weren't for the whole gang thing." A lie, but hey - maybe if he hadn't been a part-time mob boss/vigilante, then he might have actually considered it. This kind of view with a great bed and tasty food? Sign him up.

"No you wouldn't," Dick replied with an easy smile. And Jason really regretted looking at the elder, because the sun had the unfair effect of making Dick's tan skin practically glow. Maybe he'd fight Damian when they got back to Gotham instead - Tim would probably just laugh and attempt to hobble away like the cripple he was, but Damian would actually do something. Although, he had a feeling the demon spawn would be trapped in one of Dick's hugs for a while once they got back. Honestly, it was like the man had withdrawal symptoms if he went a couple hours without seeing his precious 'Dami'. To be fair though, he and Tim encouraged it. After all, it was a very useful tactic when one of them pissed the little brat off and needed to escape. Dick was the only one who he wouldn't actually hurt, and so he couldn't exactly get away from the guy when he decided that it was cuddle time. As a bonus, the hugs actually worked to calm the kid down roughly six out of ten times. 

"Oh yeah? And why wouldn't I?"

Dick's smile spread, giving Jason the urge to look away. However, a small part of him yelled that turning away would be admitting defeat, and since he was no quitter (if you don't believe him, then refer back to the fact that he literally came back from the dead), he did his best to keep his gaze steady.

"You'd miss us too much."

Jason felt his body grow a bit colder at those words. Because, alright, maybe they held some amount of truth to them. But at the same time, he did not need those words out in the open for everyone to hear.

"Shut up, Dickhead." 

Dick simply smiled before he walked over to his personal duffle bag. "I saw the pool that they have on my way out - it's pretty nice, do you wanna go see it?" Jason raised an eyebrow at that, the tension in his body slowly receding. He hadn't even noticed that he'd tensed up, but obviously Dick had. Probably the only person better at reading body language was Cass, and maybe Bruce. But out of the three, he was definitely the most accustomed to changing the topic with words. Cass used action more than anything, and Bruce...well, just because Bruce noticed something didn't mean he would do anything about it.

"Are we gathering info too?" Jason asked, watching as Dick pulled out a pair of swim trunks and an old T-shirt.

"Yeah, though we should stick together for a good amount of the time. But I'm sure that others will be coming over to chat, so once they do, one of us should head to the bar to see what the bartender knows."

"I got dibs on the drinks," Jason piped up, unfurling from his seat. He walked over to the paper bag, putting his muffin back inside for later. "You can handle the annoying assholes that flatter and flirt their way up the social ladder."

He took another bite of the croissant, noting with an almost mournful look that it was almost gone. "Gee, thanks," Dick replied with an eyeroll. Jason only shrugged in response.

"We want people to like us, remember? So you do the talking, and leave the bartender to me."

Dick laughed, heading toward the bathroom to change. It wasn't as though they hadn't seen each other naked before, but somehow changing in and out of their suits was a lot different than what changing into a bathing suit would be. Not to mention the fact that Jason didn't need his self-control tested more than strictly necessary. "Alright little wing, I'll leave that to you then. But until we get to that point, let's try to have a little fun, yeah?" Dick sent him one last grin before slipping into the bathroom and closing the door behind him. And Jason was very glad that the door had been closed so quickly, because he could feel how red his ears were. Dick Grayson in a bathing suit, fucking around in the pool? With Jason right next to him? He couldn't decide if that was a blessing or a curse, but as soon as the elder walked out of the bathroom and he saw Dick's ass in those swim trunks, he decided it didn't matter - he was dead again either way.


	4. One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila Pool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Look, he had no problem trying all sorts of different kinks, and he tried not to judge people on theirs (though his friends and on-again-off-again family were exceptions to the rule). He liked his fair share of different things - but he really didn't need to hear a revamped version of 50 shades, alright?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate title- Step Three: Drink away your problems until they no longer exist (or have Dick Grayson cuddle you. That works too)

Jason felt his eye twitch out of annoyance. 

He had a rather long hitlist at the moment, one that seemed to only grow. The newest addition? Richard fucking Grayson. 

They had gotten to the pool with no problems, but it couldn't have been more then five minutes before they were swarmed. Jason could only assume that a vast majority of the people who approached them were ones that they'd see at the party later that week - and really, that was the only thing keeping him from sprinting in the other direction. Because he didn't get to go to the bartender, oh no. Once they had introduced themselves (Dick as one Jackson Spree and Jason as Max Gonzales) all the other guys pulled Dick with them to the bar, leaving Jason to fend for himself against a horde of gossip-fueled women. He had given the elder his best 'don't abandon me' puppy-dog eyes, but the bastard had only grinned and told him to 'have fun!'. Yeah. As if.

"So, Max," one woman purred from his left. They were sitting in a group on the beach chairs with Jason stuck almost perfectly in the middle, leaving him with no clear escape route.

"Yes?" Jason responded, his best socialite smile in place. The women had been going on and on about the hideous bathing suits they'd seen, and what was apparently examples of terrible service in the hotel for the past twenty minutes, but hadn't yet asked for his input. Obviously, that was about to change.

"Tell us how you met Jackson," another woman said (Jason was pretty sure her name was Katherine, but for now he'd make up names until he knew for sure. This one would be called 'plastic-surgery'). 

"Oh," Jason chuckled. It was a story that he and Dick had gone over many times due to Tim's instance, so he wasn't worried about getting any details wrong. "We met at a night club - it was one of those middle-ground ones, y'know? It was nice, but didn't cost an arm and a leg to get in." 

Jason's persona Max Gonzales was a guy who closely represented what Jason imagined he might have turned out like if Bruce hadn't happened, and if he managed to catch a break job-wise. Max didn't come from a lot of money, and worked hard for everything he got. He'd taken to bartending as a way to earn extra cash, and that's where he met Dick's persona Jackson Spree. Jackson was, generally speaking, a complete and utter dumbass. He was as fake as the people who attended Bruce's parties, but with half the acting skills. He was a guy who thought he controlled what happened around him, but showed his next move as if he were an open book. Despite all that, he had a soft spot for Max and often pampered his 'boyfriend' in every way he could. Part of Jason wondered if Bruce had them attend galas so that they could perfect undercover personas like Jackson Spree - he figured it wasn't too far from the truth, as Dick seemed to be putting all his observations and practiced smiles to use. 

"I was a bartender at the time," Jason continued, eyes focused on where Dick was. Now that he was comparing their two groups, he might actually have it easier. The men that Dick was with looked like opportunistic weasels, salivating at the thought of an easy prey like Jackson. At last Jason only needed to endure gossip.

"Jackson popped in one day, and after we talked for a bit, he kept showing up." Jason allowed himself to chuckle. "Annoying bastard wouldn't leave me alone until I agreed to a date. And, well." he shrugged. "Give or take two months later, and here I am." 

The women crooned at his story, and Jason had to work hard to keep his smug grin from showing. Instead, he maintained a somewhat shy, somewhat lovesick smile that was getting increasingly difficult to keep up as part of his acting, rather than one he really wanted to show. But contrary to apparent popular belief (Roy, Tim, and Damian mainly), Jason was a good actor and could keep it together until they were able to leave.

"That's adorable," a woman sighed (Jason would call this one 'implants'). 

"I wish Jeffery had done something like that," another pouted ('entitled' seemed like a good fit for her). "He was drunk when we met - had the nerve to point at me and say that I was going home with him that night." Entitled shrugged, tossing a lock of bleach blonde hair over her shoulder. "I did, of course, but it definitely took him by surprise that he had to work to get anything."

A red-headed woman (Ariel-wannabe, Jason decided) giggled before adding her own thoughts. "Daniel was the total opposite," she said in a sickly-sweet voice. "He was so shy at first!" Her smile turned to one that was much dirtier, causing Jason to take back his earlier statement. If this conversation was going where he thought it was, then Dick definitely had it easier. "But he turned out to like some really freaky stuff, y'know? And, well. I do love a man who can do both."

The women giggled, and Jason had to force a laugh and hope it didn't sound too strained. God, he hoped they didn't ask him about the nonexistent sex life between 'Max' and 'Jackson', or else he was going to have to improvise - and that was not something he wanted to do.

Plastic-surgery decided to give her inputs as well, and Jason had to mentally censor what she was saying. 

Look, he had no problem trying all sorts of different kinks, and he tried not to judge people on theirs (though his friends and on-again-off-again family were exceptions to the rule). He liked his fair share of different things - but he really didn't need to hear a revamped version of 50 shades, alright?

Thankfully, he was saved before he needed to give any rushed examples of what Max and Jackson got up to at night.

"Hello ladies," Dick said with a wide grin, a drink in each hand. Then he turned to Jason, and he had to resist the urge to swallow. They hadn't discussed what their imaginary sex life was like, but it was kind of an unsaid agreement that Jackson was a pretty horny guy. So while the bedroom eyes he received weren't exactly unexpected, Jason certainly wasn't prepared for them.

"Max," Dick all but purred. 

Needless to say, he hadn't been ready for the bedroom voice either. 

"Hey Jackie," Jason responded with a grin. It was less sharp than his normal one, as Max was more mellow. In a way, they were playing the reverse of each other. Usually Dick was acting as Jason's impulse control, but for this mission Jason had to pretend to be Dick's. 

"You having fun?" Dick asked, making his way through the other women so that he could stand next to Jason. 

"Oh yeah," Jason replied as nonchalantly as possible, taking one of the drinks from Dick. "These ladies make for great company." By which he meant, of course, that if Dick didn't get him away from them at that very moment, someone was going to die. Thankfully the elder seemed to pick up on that, as he held out a hand and laughed.

"Well, I'm sorry to pull you away from your new friends," he said, smiling at their audience as Jason took the offered hand and stood up. "But I'd like to have some of Max's time to myself. Surely you all understand." Judging by the giggles Dick got and the way they opened up a path for them, they all had the same idea as to what Dick had in mind.

"Come on babe," Dick said, lightly tugging Jason's hand. "Let's go float around in the pool for a bit until we head back to the room, okay?" Jason blinked at the bright grin Dick gave him, and all but helplessly followed along. Both he and Max were captivated by that smile, and Jason couldn't resist the grin that spread across his own lips. 

"Lead the way," he responded, sinking into the safety that Max's persona brought. Max was supposed to be lovesick - Max was allowed to show how smitten he was. Jason wasn't allowed to do that, but through Max, he could pretend. Of course, pretending was bound to be a bit harder once they were actually in the pool, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.

\---------

"Y'know," Jason started, talking into Dick's ear. They had been in the pool for roughly twenty minutes, and both had downed a fair amount of alcohol. Jason more so than Dick - the elder needed to be more sober to pull off his act, so Jason subtly drank most of the drinks that they ordered. "This wasn't what I had in mind when you suggested we go to the pool."

He felt more then he heard Dick's laugh. They were pressed together, Dick's back to the side of the pool, feet barely touching the ground. Despite the shaky balance the other was sure to have, he managed to keep one arm behind Jason's back and the other wrapped around his thighs. Jason had his arms loosely wrapped around the elder's neck, head resting on Dick's shoulder so that his lips were in line with Dick's ears. 

This position was a bit of a strange one, all things considered. Or, maybe it was because Jason couldn't believe that he'd gotten to the point where said position felt comfortable and safe. It seemed like last week he was ready to put a bullet in Dick's leg just because the elder wanted to talk with him, but it also felt like that happened ages ago. Nowadays, when it came to threats like those, he was all bark and no bite - to a select few, of course. Said few being Roy, Kori, Dick, and Tim. Maybe Steph too. Cass and Babs were never in any real danger from him, and everyone else he had been on shaky ground to start with. Bruce was an asshole that he'd still probably shoot in the leg, and Damian was just a smaller version of him. Though, maybe the brat would be spared - Dick would get all pouty if he hurt the little bastard. 

Okay, so maybe he wouldn't hurt any of them anymore. It was honestly kind of annoying since the rest of the Bat-clan seemed to realize that tidbit as well, rendering his normal threats all but useless. Still, he now got to play 'big brother' to most of them, which meant pranks and harassing everyone else in ways that only family could.

Jason mentally paused at that. He supposed that he'd subconsciously accepted that he was stuck with Dick and all the others, but consciously allowing himself to think they were his family, that they really and truly did want him to stay was-

"Well, it wasn't what I had in mind either," Dick said, interrupting what was sure to have become a panic attack had he been alone and without distraction. Jason couldn't figure out why the idea bothered him so much - it's not like he wasn't acting the part of THAT brother anyway. Maybe it had something to do with liking Dick. Deciding to leave those thoughts for later, Jason did his best to focus on what was presently happening.

"Though to be honest," Dick continued. "This position is pretty comfy." Jason could hear the grin the elder was wearing. He hid his own scowl against Dick's shoulder, voice slightly muffled as he spoke.

"You ever mention this to anyone," he growled, "then you're a dead man. You hear me?"

Dick hummed, tightening his hold. "Sure thing. If it makes you feel better though, next time you could hold me." Jason hit Dick's chest, the action making the elder laugh. "Okay, okay," he said. "Got it - there shall be no more holding of anyone." 

Jason let out a huff before relaxing into Dick's arms once more. He still didn't know why they had to be in this specific position. They could have been in any other one, but of course Dickhead had to go and pick the princess carry. Jason was going to throttle him. Once, of course, he managed to move away. For all his complaining, he could admit to himself that the position was nice, and that he'd probably find himself in it once more (positions reversed or not) if he and Dick were actually dating. But not matter what Tim said, it just wasn't going to happen. Dick could do so much better than him - hell, he deserved so much better. 

But Jason was selfish. He didn't want Dick to find someone else, didn't want him to find another Babs or Kori. Dick seemed to recognize that his mood had changed, adjusting his grip slightly and pressing his lips to the top of Jason's head. That caused his cheeks to heat up a bit, but it was nothing he couldn't blame on alcohol or the sun. 

"Let's go back to the room," Dick said quietly. Jason nodded, only a little reluctant to leave their position. But it ended up being okay. Once they had gotten back, Dick had started whining that he missed cuddling with Jason, and demanded that they spend some more time doing just that. Jason, of course, groaned and groused, but in the end he found himself locked in place thanks to Dick's inhumanly flexible body. And if he had to put all his acting skills to use to keep from smiling as they cuddled on the couch and watched a movie, well. That was nobody's business but his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do y'all want a chapter from another perspective (mainly Tim or Dick), or should we keep chugging along with only Jason's POV?


	5. There's Sappy, And Then There's Dick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick has been told time and time again that he was clingy - by Bruce, Tim, Damian, and Jason, just to name a few. And yeah, okay, he understood that. He liked hugs, cuddling, and generally just wanted attention from the people he cared about. But if he was being completely honest with himself, his need for physical touch was going to be his downfall. How did he know this? Well, he had been cradling Jason in a pool while on a mission for one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gay disaster Dick? Gay disaster Dick.

Dick has been told time and time again that he was clingy - by Bruce, Tim, Damian, and Jason, just to name a few. And yeah, okay, he understood that. He liked hugs, cuddling, and generally just wanted attention from the people he cared about. But if he was being completely honest with himself, his need for physical touch was going to be his downfall. How did he know this? Well, he had been cradling Jason in a pool while on a mission for one. And allow him to just mention that those muscles pressed against him would haunt him until he died. Or, he supposed a more fitting term would be infinity, as those in the superhero community (especially the ones from Gotham) didn't tend to stay dead. 

That being said, Dick was now stuck. 

Jason had fallen asleep on the couch, and logically, Dick knew he should wake the other - they could move to the bed and pass out there, or they could get some work done. But at some point Dick had ended up on his back and Jason was on top of him and there was no force on Earth (or in the universe - universes, he supposed) that could make him get up. Because they fit together so perfectly, and Dick finally got to hold Jason as close as he could. And he took full advantage of that, because really, how could he not?

His little wing, the Red Hood, or perhaps better known as (to essentially everyone who knew him), 'the guy who can make Grayson melt faster than water could melt a witch', was cuddling him. Dick was absolutely smitten and everyone except Jason knew it. And it honestly made him a bit sad. Not that Jason didn't know how he felt about him, because God, that was sure to be a disaster. But what bothered him was how the other acted when shown any form of love or physical affection. He'd get this furrow in his brow, like he was trying to figure out if it was directed to him or the person behind him. It made Dick want to shower him in all the love he could, just so Jason would know that he deserved it.

But he couldn't.

Jason would recoil, he'd pull back - he'd distance himself from Dick, and Dick was much too selfish to allow that to happen. So he took moments like these and ran with them. He stretched them out until they could go no further, and he replayed them in his mind until they were burned into his memory. He's been told in the past that there were better ways of handling the love he had for Jason ("Oh my God," Tim had once groaned. "Just tell him, would you?"), but Dick honestly didn't know what he'd do if something changed. 

If things changed for the better, his immediate reaction would be to show Jason just how much he loved and adored him. The only problem was that he didn't want to scare him away when they'd only just begun. And if things changed for the worse...Dick didn't know what he'd do with himself. He'd already been engaged twice - once to Kori and once to Babs - and he'd ended up broken hearted twice. As much love as he held for those around him, he wasn't sure he'd be able to handle going through that again. Nightwing was strong and always got back up after being beaten down, but Dick Grayson? He was just someone who wanted to love and wanted love in return.

Dick slowed his breathing down, calming himself from those negative thoughts. It wasn't like he'd never love someone romantically again - Jason made sure of that, even if he wasn't aware of it. But the idea of giving his entire being to another again was, well, daunting, to say the least. 

Jason let out a huff in his sleep, shifting slightly and successfully making Dick freeze. He didn't want to move yet, didn't want Jason to pull away. So he began rubbing gentle circles against the younger's back, hoping to lull him back into sleep. And to Dick's utter surprise, it had worked. He didn't bother to hide his grin, choosing instead to tilt his head to try and get a better look at the other. Inwardly Dick cooed. Jason looked absolutely adorable when he was asleep - God, he wished he had his phone to take a picture. But then Jason might really kill him, and his phone was too far away anyway, so Dick scrapped the idea pretty quickly. Even so, it was nice to imagine. 

Dick found himself doing that more and more - daydreaming, that is. A lot of said daydreams featured him and Jason, but not all of them. He had one where Tim got enough sleep and didn't have to live off of coffee. He'd be a successful businessman, impressing everyone with his knowledge and skill. Damian would actually get along with Tim - he'd occasionally help out at the office, but his real job was as a veterinarian. Dami would be the best in the business, and would take the best care of every animal that came his way. Bruce would be able to live his life. He wouldn't be consumed with the need to perform his justice, wouldn't focus more on those he lost rather than the people who surrounded him - the people who were still alive. Babs wouldn't have been shot, Alfred would take a break once in a while, Cas wouldn't have had such a terrible upbringing, and Jason...

Dick tightened his hold slightly, trying to bring them even closer. 

Jason would be happy. Maybe he'd be a mechanic, or even an English teacher. He's always liked English. Dick smiled, gently brushing a strand of hair from the younger's face. They could meet in any way, but Dick's favorite ways would always be the incredibly cliché possibilities. Bumping into each other in the street, love at first sight...okay, so he was a romantic, sue him.

Dick leaned his head back against the arm rest of the couch. God, sometimes he wished he'd never gotten into this kind of life. Sure, he loved to help people, loved saving those who couldn't save themselves. But is was so hard some days. He couldn't just go out and make friends - he had to be careful to keep them only in Dick Grayson's life, or only in Nightwing's life. There were, of course, those who fit into both categories, but the majority of them came from the superhero community. And while he absolutely loved all his friends, sometimes he wished he could just go out and talk to people without worrying about them possibly making the connection between Nightwing and Dick Grayson. The repercussions that knowledge could bring were nothing short of fatal. They had too many enemies to make it out alive if their identities were known, and he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he was the cause of his family's downfall. 

So he daydreamed. 

He'd probably be a full-time cop with no night-time activities short of making time for friends and family. Or maybe he'd have done something with gymnastics or acrobatics. He was never really sure, but he liked both options well enough to not particularly mind what his brain went with for the day. 

Dick closed his eyes, keeping his arms wrapped around Jason. In truth, he often wished his fantasies could become a reality. But he knew that if it ever came down to it, he would never give up his current life. He and everyone he knew suffered, yes. But they suffered more so other people would suffer less. And he didn't think that any one of them would have it another way. This life was optional - you could leave at any time. But more people joined them than left them, and it never failed to motivate Dick to do his best. 

His lips curled into a smile, letting out a quiet, happy sigh as Jason fisted his hands in his shirt. Jason. Jason, Jason, Jason. Dick was so hopelessly in love it wasn't even funny. In fact, many people found it pretty 'disgusting'. Apparently he was too sappy for his own good, but that was fine. They honestly didn't even know the half of it, no matter how much he gushed about the younger. Dick opened his eyes once more, staring at the ceiling for a few moments. Maybe Tim was right though. And Wally, and Donna, and everyone else. Maybe telling Jason how he felt wouldn't be such a bad idea. The thought made his heart rate pick up. He faced death nearly every night, yet it was telling Jason that he loved him that made him scared.

But that was okay. Nightwing was brave, and Nightwing was Dick Grayson. Therefore, Dick Grayson could be brave too. He mentally nodded to himself. After this mission he'd do it. He'd tell Jason how he really felt and see what happened. With that in mind, Dick tilted his head to look at Jason once more only to find a pair of bright jade eyes staring back at him.

Well shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know that chapter was low key short, and it really was going to be longer, but then I got an idea for the next one and if it was gonna work I had to cut it here. But on the bright side, if you liked Dick's POV then there'll be more in the future! (I'm also thinking of including at least one chapter for Tim)
> 
> I also love getting comments from y'all, so lmk if you liked this chapter or want to suggest any ideas/different POVs! 
> 
> (I do, of course, know where I'm generally going with this, but I'm open to some more,,, filler chapters, I guess we'll call them. Or just generally suggestions for certain interactions uwu)


	6. The Mission Is (Not) The Top Priority

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Well," Dick started, sitting up once Jason had. "Do you want to go to bed, or should we try to get some work done?" The younger stretched before answering, reveling in the way his entire body moved to release some of the aches and pains he had almost constantly. He was only in his twenties, but God, sometimes he felt like he was eighty. 
> 
> "Are we able to do anything more until we get to the party?" Jason finally asked. "Other than talking to the mob-wife-wannabes, of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens

Jason was - to put it mildly - surprised to wake up in his current position. He had been laying on top of Dick for God knows how long, and the elder seemed all too happy to keep him in place (if the arms wrapped around him were anything to go by). 

When Jason first woke up, he thought Dick was asleep. The elder had his head tilted back, and his breathing was even and relaxed. But then he was suddenly looking at a pair of pretty blue eyes that looked as surprise as he felt, and Jason knew that if he hadn't already been wrapped around Dick's finger, he most definitely would have been now. Because honestly - there wasn't a soul in the world who could resist those eyes. No, not even Bruce. The Bat might act like he could say no to Dick, but anyone who knew him was fully aware that he'd give in to the younger one way or another. It was almost like a requirement to be around the first Robin - one must acknowledge that while you may think you are in control, you never truly are. And boy, wasn't that the truth.

"I was going to move us to the bed," Dick started, "but I knew I'd wake you up. Plus, I was pretty comfortable right here. Are you?"

And shit, it just wasn't fair. Of course this stupidly perfect dumbass had to say something like that with such a happy smile and make Jason feel all sorts of things that he'd rather go without.

"Yeah," the younger responded, voice lower due to just waking up. "I guess it's fine. But don't think it'll be happening often," he grumbled, pulling away even though he wanted nothing more than to stay in that position forever. Or maybe reverse their positions - he wasn't particularly picky. The point was, Jason wasn't all too happy about moving, but he really didn't need to be pressed up against Dick like that. Not if he wanted to keep some amount of his dignity anyway. 

Because he was so focused on keeping his impulses in check, Jason missed the way Dick's cheeks flushed, and how he inhaled a bit more sharply than usual.

"Well," Dick started, sitting up once Jason had. "Do you want to go to bed, or should we try to get some work done?" The younger stretched before answering, reveling in the way his entire body moved to release some of the aches and pains he had almost constantly. He was only in his twenties, but God, sometimes he felt like he was eighty. 

"Are we able to do anything more until we get to the party?" Jason finally asked. "Other than talking to the mob-wife-wannabes, of course."

He heard Dick chuckle, a sound that never failed to make his cheeks turn pink. It was part of why he loved wearing his helmet so much - Dick was always chatting during patrols, and ever since he'd let him and Tim convince him to keep the Bat comm line open, he's had to hear Dick laughing, cheering, joking, and everything else in between every night. The helmet helped him keep some form of dignity by hiding how his face would light up in a furious blush, or when he couldn't help but smile as he watched Dick have the time of his life flying from building to building. Those were some of the reasons why he was moving a good portion of his gang into Bludhaven. The other part was because Dick had once mentioned that he liked Jason's guys well enough because they had morals, even if they were criminals. And ever since then, it's become an unspoken rule between the pair and the Red Hood's gang that if you don't mess with the vigilantes (especially Nightwing) and follow Hood's rules, you won't end up behind bars.

Dick understood that crime was impossible to completely get rid of, and he'd said (when defending his treatment of Red Hood's gang to Bats himself) that he'd much rather have people who operated under Jason controlling the market than someone like Blockbuster. Jason was proud to say that he got to witness Dick winning yet another argument against Bruce - and it was even better because it was about him! Jason took a mental step back. He was getting really good at getting lost in his thoughts.

"Oh!" Dick exclaimed, causing the younger to sharply turn his gaze over to him. "So, no, there's not a whole lot we can do, but I did almost forget to tell you something. Though, I think I'm gonna call Timmy too - if he can get into their security feed, then things might be a bit easier." Dick then moved over to the table that his phone was laying on, leaving Jason to wonder what the elder had managed to wiggle out of the weasels from the pool.

"Hey Timmy!" Dick chirped cheerfully after a few moments, grinning as he walked back over to the couch. "Yeah, no - everything's okay, I just have some new info that you might be able to help out with. I'm gonna put you on speaker now, okay?" Dick then moved the phone from his ear and set it on the coffee table in from of the couch, humming lowly as he sat down. 

_"Okay Dick,"_ came Tim's voice. _"Let's hear what you've got."_

"Okay," Dick started, and Jason took note of how seamlessly he transitioned from Dick Grayson to Nightwing. It was an ability that all of them had, but in his opinion, watching Dick do it was the most interesting. And no, it wasn't because of any bias toward the first boy wonder. It was really because the rest of them always had some aspect of their counter-parts embedded in their actual personalities - and yes, Dick had that too, but it was different. While their switch was usually not outwardly noticeable to the untrained eye, Dick's initial transition was like flipping a light switch on and off.

"So the info we currently have still seems to hold up," Dick continued, resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned toward the phone. "The only thing is, I think that we're dealing with more than just regular drugs and weapons. That's not to say that those won't be present, but one of the guys I was talking to mentioned that our mark was bringing out a new product. He said to make sure I stay for the very end, even when they start asking people to leave."

That made Jason frown. Nothing good ever came out of situations like these - staying after a majority of the crowd left would make it harder for them to get out unscathed. The reason for that was because the security would be much more focused on the smaller group that was present, which raised the risk of a confrontation. Not to mention they (namely Dick - Jason didn't particularly care) didn't want anyone at the party to get killed, which was likely to happen if their cover was blown.

 _"Well I don't like the sound of that,"_ Tim replied. _"You think it's a new drug they cooked up? Or maybe even some new high-tech weapon? Both seem fairly likely."_

Dick hummed. "Yeah, I think it could be either, or even both. But we're gonna need to make some adjustments to the plan - I doubt anyone suspects that we're not actually part of a gang-" Jason coughed. "A gang interested in what they're selling," Dick corrected with an eyeroll. "So I think it's fairly safe to say that this is somewhat of a VIP access exchange."

"Then I have to get the list before we get to that part," Jason added.

 _"Well, yes,"_ Tim started. _"But it would be extremely helpful to know what you guys are going into before you're actually there, even if it's only an hour or so of a head's up."_

Jason sighed. "Okay, so now I gotta hunt down this list and try to find out what they have cooking in their basement." He looked over to Dick. "How much time do you think you can buy me? 'Cause I have a feeling that this shit is gonna be scattered in two different directions."

Dick pursed his lips, thinking for a few moments before responding. "That depends on how aware these guys are. If they're anything like the people who go to Bruce's galas, then at least an hour and a half, maybe even two if we need it. But if these guys are keeping watch on everyone..." Dick bit his lip before rubbing his face with his hands and sighing. "The larger the group, the less time I can get you. But if we need to focus on a select few being occupied, then I can get you an hour at least."

Jason scowled. That would be plenty of time if he knew what he was looking for, but as it was, he had no clue what the information was even on. They'd also have to figure out the patrol routes, and Jason would have to sneak past anyone and everyone. His planning was halted when he heard Tim groan.

 _"Dick,"_ he all but whined. _"You're not doing a repeat of Florence, are you?"_

Now that caught Jason's full attention.

"Florence?" He repeated, looking over at Dick. The elder laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, that uh. Well, Tim and Dami needed time, so I-"

_"Took our mark to bed with you as a distraction."_

That caused Jason to freeze. He felt his blood run cold with dread, because he could not have heard that right. "You did _what_ now?" He hissed. Dick rolled his eyes once more, lowering his hand back into his lap.

"Jay, we needed a distraction and that was the first thing that came to mind that wouldn't blow our cover. Tim and Dami were in a tough spot, and while I have complete confidence in them, I couldn't risk them having to fight their way out from where they were."

Jason narrowed his eyes. "You're not doing that," he decided. "We'll find a different way." Because no way in _hell_ was he allowing Dick to do something like that for a stupid mission - he didn't care how important it might be.

"Jason," Dick started with a sigh, obviously about to argue when Tim piped up.

 _"As interesting as this conversation is,"_ he drawled. _"I can come up with something. It will probably give you less time though, Jason."_

"I don't care," he growled back. "Dick's not whoring himself out because the big bad Bat wants info on this new gang." He stood up angrily, having every intention of leaving the room to cool down when he felt a hand circle around his wrist. 

"Okay Jay," Dick said softly. "We'll come up with a different idea." Jason stood still, barely able to contain the angry trembling that threaten to take over his body. How long had Dick been doing things like that? How long had others known about it? Was he seriously the only one who saw how fucked up that was?

While he seethed over the newly acquired knowledge, he barely noticed Tim and Dick quietly murmuring to each other before the elder hung up. There were a few tense moments of silence before Dick sighed and stood up.

"Jason," he started, only to be interrupted.

"No," the younger spat out, spinning around to face surprised blue eyes. "You're not doing that. I don't care if you don't like being told what you can and can't do, that's just- you-," Jason groaned, spinning on his heel and moving to head toward the door.

"Jason- Jason _wait_." Dick hurried in front of the taller, blue eyes searching jade for some kind of answer. He seemed to find it when a softer look took over. "I won't do anything like that," Dick promised quietly. "Tim said he'll work something else out and get back to us tomorrow."

Jason didn't respond for a minute or so, glaring at the ground before closing his eyes and sighing, body losing some of the tension he hadn't even been aware of. Dick seemed to take that as an invitation to touch, as he quickly wrapped his arms around Jason's neck and held him close. Jason didn't reciprocate at first, but eventually his arms found their way around the elder's waist. Once they were there, he couldn't help the vice grip that pressed them even closer together. He heard the surprised noise Dick let out, but other than that, he didn't comment. Jason was grateful for that.

"How long have you been doing that kind of shit?" Jason murmured after a few minutes of silence. Dick had been rubbing his back, but paused when he heard the question.

"...probably not too long after I became Nightwing," he admitted. "But most of the time I would just knock them out before it got too far. That cost me some good identities though, and then I figured out that when working undercover - especially with a team - using that as a distraction worked better than most other options."

Jason didn't respond verbally, instead choosing to tighten his grip. It was difficult to think about if he was being honest. The knowledge that there were assholes who probably didn't even deserve to live got to put their hands on Dick - got to touch him in ways that Jason could only _dream_ about - it left a bitter taste in his mouth. 

"Let's go to bed Little Wing," Dick said quietly after another minute of silence. Or maybe it had been longer - Jason wasn't sure.

"Promise you won't do that again," he said instead. Jason knew that promises were rarely kept. He knew that the bat-clan in particular were bad at keeping promises. But he needed to hear Dick say it, even if he wouldn't be able to keep it.

"Jason..."

"Just. Please. Even if you don't mean it." Fuck, it sucked how vulnerable he felt and sounded in that moment. But all he could think about were the kids on the streets who sold their bodies just so they could have food for the next day. He thought of the working girls who went missing, only to turn up a week later dead in a ditch. And deep down, he knew this was different. Dick was trained, Dick knew how to protect himself - Dick did those things for a mission. But that didn't stop the primal fear from clawing at his throat at the mere _notion_ that Dick would do something like that just because of the teachings Bruce had instilled in him from the very beginning.

_The mission is the top priority._

Yeah, fuck that. Jason had stopped listening to those rules a long time ago - there was no way he was going to start now.

"Okay," Dick said softly, changing Jason's anger to confusion in mere seconds. "I can't promise that I'll never do it if the situation gets desperate enough," the elder leaned back, catching Jason's gaze with a smile that had no business looking as soft as it did. "But I promise that it will be the last thing that I'll turn to. That fair?"

 _No,_ Jason wanted to say. _It's not fair. You shouldn't have to do that at all._ But he knew a compromise when he saw one, and for the moment, he was content to settle with it.

"Okay," he whispered back, voice holding more emotion than he was comfortable with. But Dick's smile brightened, and fuck, if that sight wasn't worth lowering some of his usual walls.

"Let's get some sleep then," Dick suggested, pulling away but never fully letting go. He tugged on Jason's hand, grabbing his phone along the way. Once both of their devices were plugged in and they were ready to go to sleep, they climbed onto the bed and under the covers. Jason wanted to reach out and bring Dick closer, an action he was convinced he could only get away with because of their earlier conversation. But before he could decide on whether or not to just stay on his side, Dick made the decision for him.

"You don't mind, do you?" Dick asked from his place on Jason's chest. Jason was sure that his heartbeat was going wild, but he did his best to stay calm as he slowly wrapped his arms around Dick's smaller form. 

"No," he said, staring up at the ceiling. "I don't mind."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So how'd you like them apples?
> 
> Lmao anyway, I've finally learned how to use italics and all that jazz, so if you think I'm going to abuse my newfound knowledge from here on out, you'd be absolutely correct.
> 
> On another note, comments really help to motivate me and make me finish chapters faster, so if y'all ever think I'm taking too long leave a nice lil comment and I promise that will speed up the process


	7. Mission Impossible

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You ready little wing?"
> 
> Honestly? Not at all. Jason knew something was going to go wrong, but he had no real reason to back out of the mission now. Not to mention the fact that he didn't want to waste all of the time and effort Dick and Tim had put in to get them this far. He was just going to have to suck it up and roll with the punches. So Jason allowed a cocky smirk to form on his lips, already accepting that shit was going to hit the fan at some point during the night. 
> 
> "I was born ready, Dickiebird."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The day has arrived
> 
> Reminder that Dick's undercover as Jackson Spree, and Jason as Max Gonzales

Jason was strangely nervous about the mission. It wasn't because he thought that they weren't going to succeed or anything - he and Dick had spent the last few hours going over their plan, their backup plan, the backup plan to the backup plan, the layout of the house (which was more of a mansion than anything, but still wasn't comparable to the Wayne mansion), escape routes, and everything else they could think of after doing the same thing with Tim over the phone. In all honesty, they couldn't be more prepared for the situation they were going to put themselves in. But even so, Jason felt uneasy - like something was going to go wrong.

That feeling had made him check in with Dick earlier, wanting to make sure the elder wasn't going to do anything unnecessary while Jason was gone. Dick promised he wouldn't, but the feeling didn't go away. 

Jason sighed as he straightened his tie in the mirror. It really sucked that they had to wear full suits, especially because they'd be staying for the entire party plus some. The damn things were uncomfortable, and Jason just couldn't get the stupid tie to look right-

"Here," Jason blinked as Dick appeared at his side, a grin on his face as he turned the younger so that they were face to face. "Let me fix that for you."

Jason hummed lowly, watching as Dick meticulously fixed his tie in a way that was all Alfred. The man had shown each and every one of them how to fix their ties, but Jason had never really gotten the hang of it. Of course, that probably had something to do with the fact that he avoided ties like the plague, but still.

"There you are little wing," Dick said, leaning back to smile up at Jason. And God, he wanted nothing more but to lean down and kiss that smile right off his lips. But he couldn't, and it sucked. The only highlight of going to the party was that he'd be able to steal a few kisses throughout the night. The biggest downside would be that he'd have to settle for getting a taste of what he'd wanted for so long, knowing he'd never get another chance. The universe really was cruel.

"Thanks Dickie," Jason said quietly before turning to look at himself in the mirror one last time. His hate for suits aside, he could admit that they were flattering on his body. They made his broad shoulders stand out and left little imagination on just how muscular his thighs were. Though, he still thought that Dick looked better. The elder's suit showed off his ass nicely, and you could see the raw power lurking in his legs. He may or may not have started showing up to the occasional gala just to catch a glance of the Boy Wonder, but honestly - who could blame him? No one, that's who. Add in the fact that Tim was willing to run interference for him, and there was absolutely nothing stopping him from eyeing Dick when he was dressed to the nines.

"Okay," he heard Dick say, exhaling as he spoke. That prompted Jason to turn and face the other, just in time to see him smooth down the front of his jacket. Strangely enough, he thought he saw some nervousness - or hesitance, perhaps? - on his face before it was hidden behind a bright smile. It put Jason further on edge while simultaneously strengthening his determination to make sure that this mission wouldn't put as much strain on Dick as he was sure they normally did.

"You ready little wing?"

Honestly? Not at all. Jason knew something was going to go wrong, but he had no real reason to back out of the mission now. Not to mention the fact that he didn't want to waste all of the time and effort Dick and Tim had put in to get them this far. He was just going to have to suck it up and roll with the punches. So Jason allowed a cocky smirk to form on his lips, already accepting that shit was going to hit the fan at some point during the night. 

"I was born ready, Dickiebird."

\----------------

Dick hated parties.

Well, no, that actually wasn't true. He loved parties, just hated the ones that were full of posturing and constantly trying to one-up everyone else in the room. In other words, he wanted to be anywhere but where he currently was - stuck in the middle of a group of vultures. Jason had left not too long ago under the excuse that he wasn't feeling well, but since it was a very flimsy cover, Dick had smugly hinted at some other reasons as to why the man had to leave. Said reasons were very sexual, one being that they were trying out some new kinks and his partner couldn't handle having something inside him while in public. Raunchy, he knew, but it got the job done. Most of the group had snickered amongst themselves while the rest immediately tried to change the conversation (it didn't work).

Dick had tried to oblige while starting his mental clock on how long they had before people started to wonder about just what it was his partner was up to. But Jason had Tim on their shared comm line as a means of getting around, which hopefully meant they would be able to get the first part of their mission completed faster. The younger had hacked into the security feed and was acting as a guide for Jason, telling him when people were approaching and what rooms didn't have cameras in them. The rooms with no cameras were more likely to have the information they wanted, but they were more dangerous in the sense that Tim would be almost no help to Jason once he entered the room. That being said, Tim had worked quickly to send them some small remote controlled cameras that would allow them both to see the inside of the room before Jason entered it. In this situation, Jason was as safe as he could be.

While Tim and Jason were working on gathering intel, Dick didn't connect his own comm to their channel unless there was an emergency. Tim had said that there was a higher chance of any of them (and by 'any of them' Dick knew Tim meant him) getting distracted by what was happening on the other side of the line. It was true, and as much as Dick had hated it before, he was glad for it now - it was taking all of his focus to stay in character and act as the distraction.

"So Jackson," a woman to his right purred. Dick turned his attention to the woman (who was absolutely covered in makeup) and put on his best cocky grin, a look he had taken from Jason. "Yes?" he responded.

"You and Max obviously have a very healthy sexual relationship, yes?" _Oh Jesus._

Jackson's grin had only gotten deeper at the question, but Dick felt like he was dying inside. If he had known that this would be his punishment for making those comments as to why Jason was leaving earlier, he never would have opened his mouth. 

"I would say so," Dick replied in Jackson's arrogant tone. "Though, Max is more likely to say I get over-eager. But really, can you blame me?"

The woman giggled, as did a few others that were nearby. Dick kind of felt like 'Brucie' in the moment, only more perverted and less liked.

"Not at all," the same woman said. "But honestly, I'm so jealous!" She pouted. "Michael never acts that way with me anymore." Dick could think of a number of reasons why that could be, but chose not to voice them. In all honestly, he was really relating to the other men in the small group - they looked just as uncomfortable with the current conversation as Dick felt.

Fortunately, a new face made himself known at that moment which meant Dick wouldn't have to continue that conversation. Unfortunately, said person was their mark Charlie Anderson.

"Jackson Spree, was it?" the man asked, holding his hand out in greeting.

"That would be me," Dick replied, taking the offered hand.

"A pleasure to finally meet you," the man said, putting his hand back in his pocket once they pulled away. "My name is Charlie Anderson - you can call me Charlie."

Dick quickly surveyed the man. He was very neatly dressed, and almost gave off an old-time gangster vibe. A glance at his face told Dick all he needed to know - this man was cocky and arrogant, but he wasn't stupid. Things they had known before, yes, but after meeting him in person Dick was starting to wonder if this man was wearing a mask just like he was - a persona meant to be underestimated. If that was the case, then they might be in more trouble than they had originally thought.

"Charlie," Dick chirped. "Pleasure to meet you. Feel free to call me Jackson, or whatever else tickles your fancy." 

_Don't let them know what you know._

That was one of the most important lessons that Bruce had taught him when he was still Robin. It had saved his ass more times then he could count and got him out of many tricky situations. Dick was worried that this might turn into one of those situations, and was even further concerned because he wasn't alone. He wouldn't be able to properly fill Jason in on what was happening, and that could be a very dangerous thing.

"You came here with your partner, did you not?" Charlie asked, a misleading smile on his lips. The man reminded Dick of a predator waiting for the right moment to strike, and he found himself worried for when he did.

"Sure did," Dick replied with a somewhat-leery grin. "He had to go for a little bit to ah...relieve himself, if you know what I mean?"

Charlie let out a practiced laugh. The only reason Dick was able to tell it wasn't a true sound was because the clarity in the man's eyes never dimmed. When someone genuinely laughed, you would be able to see at least a brief flicker of amusement or happiness. He saw nothing but a man calculating his options when he looked into Charlie's eyes.

"Yes," the other hummed. "I suppose I do know. Well, when he comes back, be sure to introduce him to me. I'm curious to meet the person who managed to capture one of my main buyer's attention."

"Will do," Dick grinned as Charlie walked away. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck _fuck_. Dick pulled out his phone and dialed Jason's number. It would be easier to explain that he had simply called his boyfriend rather than why he was talking to thin air, which is what it would have looked like had he used the comms.

"Babe," Dick exclaimed in faux-cheeriness when Jason picked up the phone. "Do you know when you'll be feeling up to coming back?"

"Dick." The elder paused all movement for a moment. Jason's tone was a combination of pissed and distraught, something that never meant anything good. 

"Yeah?" Dick fell back into his act, pretending as though his lover was telling him something so intimate his attention couldn't be brought anywhere else.

"...I got the list," Jason started. "And I managed to find out what they're selling later tonight."

A pause formed between them, and dread began to swell up inside of Dick's chest.

"It's kids, Dick," Jason said, voice cracking slightly. "They're selling kids."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahahahaaaa
> 
> Sorry it took so long - but uh, yeah. Shit's about to hit the fan


	8. Intuitions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You know you bats gossip like a group of suburban housewives, right?" Jason grumbled.
> 
>  _"Well sure,"_ Tim responded.
> 
> "Maybe instead of using gossip as a way to live outside of work, you could, oh I dunno, actually get a life?"
> 
> _"I like living vicariously through you guys - more entertainment with a significantly smaller chance of backlash for me. It's kind of like watching a soap opera."_
> 
> Great - so Jason's life has turned from a tragedy to a soap opera. Just what he wanted.
> 
> "This is so above my paygrade," he muttered.
> 
> _"But we don't get paid at all."_
> 
> "Exactly."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)))))

Jason had mixed feelings whenever it turned out that he was right. On one hand, he liked to be able to say that he knew something would happen and got to say 'I told you so'. On the other, he was usually right about bad things. This happened to be one of those times.

His hunt for the guest list had been a real pain in the ass, but he still managed to find it faster than he thought he would. It wasn't really well-hidden, but it was better protected in the sense that it was on paper. No one could find it on a computer, and it was easy enough to dispose of if necessary. Jason was honestly thinking that their guy was smarter than they gave him credit for, but that was a problem for future Jason to deal with. Present Jason had to hide the damn list in the waistband of his pants before heading off in search of any information he might be able to get about what kind of deal was going down after the party ended. Of course, he wasn't alone in the hunt.

 _"Okay, so chances are this stuff is going to be on a computer,"_ Tim said through the comms. _"Regardless of what this guy is selling, there's going to be a lot of information if this is as big as we're thinking it is. That being said, it'll definitely be on a private server - this guy isn't a fool - so we'll have to check whatever computers or tablets we can find. Worst comes to worst, we leave with only the list and know what to circle back for."_

Jason had to admit, as far as undercover missions went this was going pretty smoothly. And that just cemented the idea that something would go very wrong. Tim seemed to be feeling that way too, if the endless clacking of a keyboard sounding through their comms was anything to go by.

"Yeah yeah," Jason responded quietly. Tim had said there was no one around, but there was no harm in being careful. "I hear ya. But we should try and get it all in one go if we can."

_"Agreed. From what I can tell we still have a fair amount of time - Dick is keeping a good amount of attention on himself, and the ones not around him don't seem to be doing much other than trash talking the other people at the party."_

"Bunch of animals," Jason muttered. It earned him a chuckle, which was enough to make his lips curve into a barely-there smile.

 _"So on a slightly different note,"_ and just like that, the smile was gone. Jason knew that tone - it meant nothing but trouble. Well, for him, anyway. _"I heard from a somewhat reliable source that asking Dick out would be a good idea and definitely wouldn't go as bad as you're worried it might."_

Jason snorted.

"A somewhat reliable source? Yeah, I don't think so Timbo."

_"...and if I said it came from the little demon?"_

"Then I'd say you were delusional, because there is no way that brat would want me near 'his' Grayson." If nothing else, the kid was a possessive little shit.

 _"All the more reason to believe him,"_ Tim replied. _"He told me 'Grayson's pining has become unbearable - tell Todd to do something about it'. I tried telling him that I've been trying, but he just told me I obviously wasn't trying hard enough."_ Tim huffed. _"He's such a brat. But yeah - now even_ Damian _is telling you to grow a pair and ask Dick out."_

Tim was almost whining at this point, which was honestly so rude because that's exactly what Jason wanted to do.

"You know you bats gossip like a group of suburban house wives, right?" Jason grumbled, cheeks slightly flushed as he checked yet another room and its computer.

 _"Well sure,"_ Tim responded like it was the most obvious thing in the world. _"But Bruce is so emotionally constipated that we get too much second-hand embarrassment to gossip about him more than once every few months. Damian is too young, Cass just kinda stares if you ask her about any romantic interests she might have, Steph laughs in your face, Babs will ignore you, I've been told that I don't leave my work long enough to have any semblance of a romantic life and none of us have the same friends to gossip about to each other. So, you and Dick are currently our only source of entertainment."_

Well. Jason hadn't been expecting that, but in hindsight he really should have. Tim always seemed to have an answer to everything, even if it wasn't always a good answer. Like this situation, for instance.

"Shut up," he huffed, cheeks redder than he would like to admit. "Maybe instead of using gossip as a way to live outside of work, you could, oh I dunno, actually get a life?"

_"I like living vicariously through you guys - more entertainment with a significantly smaller chance of backlash for me. It's kind of like watching a soap opera."_

Great - so Jason's life has turned from a tragedy to a soap opera. Just what he wanted.

"This is so above my paygrade," he muttered.

_"But we don't get paid at all."_

"Exactly."

The rest of their time continued in a similar fashion, only with more death threats than was probably needed. However, any lightheartedness that they might have been feeling immediately flew out the window when they finally go their hands on what they were looking for. Or rather, the start of it.

"Tim," Jason said quietly, now completely focused on the mission. "You seeing all this?"

 _"I am,"_ he responded, tone showing that he too had gone back into business mode. _"There's a lot of different locations that could possibly indicate where their transactions went down. There aren't any names...oh. Well, this is strange."_

"What is?" Jason asked. He had put in a flash drive that gave Tim access to the computer as soon as he got into the room. The kid could go through information much quicker than Jason would be able to, so he kept an eye out for any unwanted company while Tim worked. And it seemed like it was finally paying off.

 _"There's a layout of the basement,"_ Tim started. _"Which might have been fairly normal until you actually stop and look at the setup."_

Tim brought the blueprints up onto the screen for Jason to see. Tim was right (not that it was particularly surprising) - the basement looked really weird. And the terms used...

"Number 00134?" Jason murmured.

 _"Yeah."_ Tim paused before continuing. _"Jason, look at how the basement is set up. There's larger squares every foot or two apart - that indicates that they have some sort of container there. And while it's entirely possible they could be holding guns or something, I don't think that's the case."_

Jason was silent, knowing that Tim would continue.

 _"Some of the boxes are colored green, some are red, and some don't have any color. But all of them have a number. I think..."_ Tim paused once more. _"I think we need to get you to the basement, Jason."_

And Jason really couldn't agree more.

Narrowing his eyes, he pulled out the flash drive once it started flashing green, letting him know that all the information on that computer was now also in the hands of Tim. After that, he didn't waste time. He moved as fast as he could while using Tim as a GPS, nerves building up the closer he came to getting to the basement. The amount of security grew the closer Jason got, but he didn't let that deter him. He blended into the shadows, he moved fast enough that they never even saw him - he couldn't risk getting into a fight. Not now.

And he had known something was going to go wrong that night, but he hadn't considered it going wrong _this_ way. He should have - he should have been prepared for any outcome really. But once he saw that there were children sitting in fucking cages - well. He was more than a little surprised and incredibly pissed. And it was at that moment that Dick called him, something that he was glad for. He could see the green creeping up in his vision, and he knew that he needed to calm down before he completely lost it.

"Babe," Dick exclaimed in faux cheer. "Do you know when you'll be feeling up to coming back?"

"Dick." Jason didn't know what exactly his voice sounded like, but he could literally _feel_ Dick straightening on the other side of the phone. 

"Yeah?"

"...I got the list," Jason started. "And I managed to find out what they're selling later tonight."

A pause formed between them, and Jason had to grit his teeth before forcing the words out. 

"It's kids, Dick," Jason said, voice cracking slightly. "They're selling kids."

\--------

They didn't have much time to act.

It was perfectly clear what would happen to the kids if they didn't get them out soon - they would be sold to the highest bidder for whatever purpose their new 'owner' would want them for. It made Dick feel sick to his stomach, but he knew he had to keep a level head. These kinds of missions were always hard, but they were nothing short of brutal for Jason. He needed a new plan, and he needed one fast.

"Sounds good babe," Dick said quietly but with enough umph in his voice that any eavesdroppers would think that he'd been told their late-night plans. "How about you go back to the room and get yourself ready for me? I want you waiting for me in that get up you know I like." 

There was a pause, and for a brief second Dick feared that Jason would go in headfirst without any form of defense or backup. But Jason wasn't stupid, and Dick knew the younger had agreed when he heard the quiet puff of an annoyed sigh.

"Fine," came Jason's gruff reply. "But don't keep me waiting."

And just like that, the world seemed to start moving once more. Jason had hung up before Dick could reply, but that was okay. Right now he needed to get out. Dick subtly turned on the comm in his ear, phone still against the side of his head so he could pretend he wasn't calling his younger brother to try and figure out a new game plan.

 _"Jason's heading the room,"_ was what Dick was greeted with. _"He won't wait long though - he's absolutely pissed."_

"Yeah, I've gathered." Dick replied quietly. He bit his lip, doing everything he could to think of something when Tim spoke up.

 _"I'm going to send Jason in once he's ready,"_ he started. Dick was about to protest, but Tim continued on. _"He's going to act as a distraction. Or, kind of. I'm going to send him to the kids and have him try to lure as many of the security guys as he can with him. Once the guns start firing, you can run to the room saying that you're going to get your boyfriend. No one will really put that much thought into it. Once you're there, suit up and come in through the front. There likely won't be any guards there, but if there are there won't be many. I'll guide you to the kids and Jason, and I'll send the Batplane over to get the kids out. I'm sure everyone will be evacuating as soon as they can, so it won't be much of a surprise if Jackson and Max disappear."_

Dick took a moment to absorb the plan Tim had just relayed to him. He knew that they had very little time and an incredibly small number of moves, but he was still hesitant to have Jason go by himself. Charlie was smarter than they realized, Dick had no doubts about that. So if he managed to get the Red Hood, leader of the biggest gang in both Gotham and Buldhaven-

_"Dick."_

Tim's voice brought him back from his thoughts.

 _"It'll be fine. I'm here too, I'll be watching his back._ Both _of your backs. It's gonna work out, okay? And besides,"_ Dick could all but hear Tim's grin. _"I thought that winging it was your favorite thing to do?"_

Honestly? Tim wasn't wrong. A smile slowly spread across Dick's lips, the look more predatory than normal. Charlie seemed to think that he was all that - a real hotshot and crime lord in the making. But he crossed a line; one that the Red Hood and Nightwing would remind him of.

"Oh," Dick replied. "You know it is."

\--------

Jason had been a bit surprised when Tim told him the plan, but there was no way on Earth he was about to argue against it. He wanted to get those kids out and he wanted to make their kidnappers _pay_. So as soon as he was given the go-ahead, Red Hood jumped into action. He snuck in through a window on the second floor and followed the same path Tim had him go the first time he went to the basement. Only this time, he didn't bother about being subtle.

The first guard he met had the unfortunate luck of being shot in the kneecaps before being knocked out. As much as he wanted to kill these guys, he really didn't want the bats to throw a hissy fit over it. But he figured if a bullet or two went astray, well. It wasn't like they'd be able to prove it was him.

That train of thought was proven when Jason ran into a rather large portion of what he was thinking were really the gang members and not security guards. Another tidbit he probably should have picked up on earlier, but whatever. He had more important things to do.

Tim and Dick were talking over the comms, the three of them connected now that their masquerade as party-goers was over. Apparently everyone who had been at the party was running for the nearby hotel, and Dick had gone with them. He said it was kind of hard to move and guessed that it would be another 10 minutes or so before he got to Jason, which was kind of bad. They all knew that Red Hood was perfectly capable of handling himself against a large number of enemies, so that wasn't the concern - what was a concern was the possibility of Charlie moving the kids. And that knowledge motivated Jason like nothing else. 

At some point he had started acting purely on instinct - not shooting to kill, but sure as hell shooting to win. These fuckers wouldn't be getting up any time soon, that was for sure. Nightwing was due to arrive any minute now, which was probably a good thing as Jason had just gotten to the basement. Like he'd feared, Charlie and a rather large number of goons were moving the kids into a large truck. The sight made his blood boil with rage as he jumped down off of the platform he had been standing on. He'd barely taken full notice of the basement when he had arrived the first time, but now Jason did a quick assessment.

The basement looked more like a small warehouse than anything - it had large doors that opened up into what Jason assumed were underground tunnels, which was where the trucks were situated. There was an upper landing that wrapped around the entire basement (that was where Jason had just jumped from) and the occasional door on said landing. The ground itself was littered with boxes and the cages that the kids were in - that was all Jason managed to gather before the order to open fire was heard.

Jason cursed as he ducked behind a box, hoping that none of the flying bullets hit a kid. If any one of them got hurt, there would be hell to pay.

"Y'know," a voice suddenly spoke right by his head. "You're giving off brooding vibes very similar to Batman's right now." 

It took a lot of willpower for Jason to keep from hitting Nightwing in that moment. He chose to settle for a glare, knowing that at the very least Dick would be able to guess the kind of expression he was making. 

"I know, I know," Dick said, smile turning into more of a frown. "The kids have no cover right now - one of us has to try and draw their fire away from them."

Jason nodded before responding. "Did they see you come in?"

"No," Dick shook his head. "I don't think so."

"Good. I'll lead their fire away while you work on taking some of them out."

 _"Get as many as you can as quietly as you can - keep the element of surprise as long as you're able to Nightwing,"_ Tim added.

"Sure thing," Dick responded. Then he took a moment to look at Jason, and Jason didn't need to see his eyes to know that there was something unfamiliar in the gaze directed his way. But whatever Dick was feeling, they didn't have time for at the moment. They needed to move. And Jason was just about to when Dick quickly grabbed onto his arm, eyebrows visibly furrowed under his mask.

"...be careful, little wing." He whispered.

Jason felt himself grin. "Always am, big bird."

They both pointedly ignored the exaggerated groaning coming from the third person on their comm line, taking another second to nod at each other before leaping into action. 

Jason moved with practiced ease, maneuvering himself around boxes and flying bullets like he had been born to do so. And honestly, that was kind of true. But regardless of how easy the movements felt, Jason knew he had to be aware and alert at all times. Getting cocky in these kinds of situations got you or others killed - and this time, there were a lot of 'others' he had to look out for. 

Dick was already on the move as well, taking out the guys who were farthest from Jason. The two worked in tandem, making their way closer and closer to each other by taking out the gang that stood between them. It took a while before they noticed that Dick was there, but once they did their attention was immediately drawn to the vigilante. Jason couldn't really blame them, but the idiots let their initial surprise distract them from the other threat that came in the form of a very angry Red Hood. 

Jason could see the panic that started to form on Charlie's face, but the man schooled his features just as quickly. He couldn't really hear the order that he barked to the men closest to himself, but Jason could see that Charlie and three of his men had closed up the truck that had a few kids inside and turned on the engine. So they planned on making a break for it, huh? Jason wasn't about to let that happen. He was just starting to move when he heard Dick talking over their comms.

"Hood, don't!" He said. Jason glanced over just long enough to see that Dick had threw a tracker on the truck just before it drove away. "Red Robin," Dick called, continuing to take down the dwindling numbers that still thought it was a good idea to keep fighting them. 

_"Go ahead."_

"I got a tracker on the truck - send the Batplane here to get the kids and Hood. I'm going to follow the truck on one of these bikes."

Jason felt his eye twitch. "Now hold up just a goddamn seco-"

Jason cut himself off so that he could knock out the last of the gang members. Once he finished, he continued speaking. "Why is it okay for you to follow them, but you told me not to? Do you think-"

"Hood." Dick cut him off, moving closer until they were face to face. Jason was broader than Dick, and had a few inches on him as well. But somehow, Nightwing's commanding gaze made him feel smaller. "You need to take care of these children. I have the truck's location and the ability to follow it - and the longer we argue about this the further away they get. Once you get the kids on the plane then you're more than welcome to join me, but our priority right now is not who can catch the most bad guys. It's saving these kids."

The implication that Jason didn't know what their priorities were made him bristle, but he knew that they were wasting time. "Fine," he growled. "You go and play hero, dickhead." Then he stalked over to the nearest cage, sighing heavily once he heard the motorcycle Dick had taken fly off after the truck. He was pissed, but he felt himself calming down once the child that he had freed desperately clung to him. 

"It's alright now," Jason said, some tension leaving his body. "I'll get you home."

\--------

_"Nightwing."_

"I'm catching up to them," Dick responded. He had changed channels for the moment, so right now it was just him and Tim.

_"Okay, that's great, but Hood does have a point. Why-"_

"First reason is because he was going to sprint at the truck and hope he caught it before it left. And secondly..." Dick recalled the way Charlie had looked while they had still been at the party. His eyes were unnerving, and Dick was worried about what might happen if Jason were to go after the man. "I just had a bad feeling," he settled with. "Something is off with this guy, and it didn't seem like a good idea to let Hood go after him."

Tim was quiet for a moment before he let out a sigh. _"Well, your intuition is usually right. But you know that would mean you put yourself in more danger, right?"_

Dick couldn't help but grin. "I thought that was one of my trademark stunts?"

Tim grumbled over the line. _"Yeah, it is. It shouldn't be, what with how I'm too young to have a heart attack, but I know there's no way to stop you."_ Tim paused for a second before continuing. _"I'm going to switch back to our common line now, so you make sure you do that too."_

"Read you loud and clear boss," Dick replied.

_"Shut up asshole."_

Dick laughed.

_"But seriously, N. Be careful."_

The seriousness of Tim's voice brought a smile to Dick's lips. "I will be, baby bird. Don't worry about me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm thinking about making a lil spinoff once I finish this fic - it'll probably be rated Explicit and would focus more on Jason and Dick's relationship than anything else (with, of course, the varying reactions of the rest of the fam). Would y'all be interested in that?


	9. I Told You So

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Looks like we caught ourselves a little birdie," goon number one said.
> 
> Dick groaned dramatically. "I swear, it's like all you bad guys have a 'Banter for Dummies' book that never gets any new content."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wanted Dick to be a damsel in distress and for Jason to save his sorry ass - sue me

Dick had been planning to be careful - really, he had been. All he was going to do was find the stupid truck, bust one of the tires so that it had to pull over, tie up the bad guys and wait for Jason to arrive with the Batplane to pick up him and the kids. That, unfortunately, is not what happened. 

See, Dick knew that _Charlie_ was smarter than he seemed, but he hadn't been expecting the fact that his goons were smarter too. If anything Dick would have thought that Charlie would be the type to hire guys that would blindly follow orders without the mental capacity to think for themselves. But lo and behold, he had finally encountered guys who knew that shooting a tire on a motorcycle would be very bad for the person riding it.

"Shit," Dick hissed as he was dropped into the back of the truck. When his front tire had been popped he had been thrown off the bike, only avoiding really serious damage by rolling properly. Still, he had come out of the crash with a dislocated shoulder, at least a few cracked ribs, and either a fractured or broken ankle. Dick would usually be able to tell the difference, but he was pretty sure he had a bad concussion as well. Not surprising, but incredibly inconvenient. 

All of that led to him getting tied up with his arms behind his back (which made his shoulder ache something awful) and his legs tied together from his calves up in duct tape. So far the rescue was going great.

"You guys don't have to be so rough," he mumbled, mostly to himself.

"They wouldn't be so rough," a voice growled through Dick's comm, "if you hadn't been dumb enough to get caught!"

 _"Hood,"_ Time hissed. _"Now is not the time!"_ Dick waited for a moment, knowing that the youngest wasn't quite done.

 _"But he's right."_ And there it was. _"That was reckless, and-"_

"Looks like we caught ourselves a little birdie," goon number one said. That made both Tim and Jason fall silent, something Dick was kind of happy about - he could only handle so many people talking to him at the moment while still maintaining his ability to banter and make quips. And figure out an escape route, of course.

Dick groaned dramatically. "I swear, it's like all you bad guys have a 'Banter for Dummies' book that never gets any new content. Do you know how many times I've heard tha-"

Dick cut himself off with a grunt, this noise more real and caused by the physical pain of having someone kick his side.

"Is that right?" That was a different voice - goon number two. "Well, how's about we do what no one else has seemed to be able to do and clip your wings?"

Dick couldn't help it. Normally when he was in a tough situation - especially with kids around - he could control his reactions better. But he was a little loopy from both the general pain of his body and the probable-concussion that he couldn't hold back his laughter. Oh, Jason and Tim were going to _kill_ him for antagonizing the bad guys.

"You guys definitely all get your lines from the same source," he snickered, trying his best to remain still to avoid aggravating his injuries any further. "Black Mask said that same thing to me last week - oh, this is, I'm sorry just- just give me a second," Dick coughed before managing to catch his breath and calm down. Internally he had sobered up immediately after the initial peal of laughter, concussion or not. Externally, however, he kept up his façade. He's found over the years that when it seems like he's unbothered by his current situation - no matter how much he really is bothered by it - it helps to put any civilians nearby at ease. He thinks it's probably because they associate his smile with him having a plan, and even though he doesn't always have one, he still manages to do his job. In this case, Dick thinks it's very important to keep smiling. The people with him aren't adults - they're just kids. And even though adults sometimes have a habit of being more cowardly than children, he's not sure how long these kids have been with Charlie or what's been done to them. For that reason Dick needs to be able to silently tell them everything will be okay - even if he knows that Tim and Jason are the only reasons they'll be okay. Without them...well, Dick's not too happy with his chances.

"Sure, birdie," goon number two hissed, pulling out a pocket knife. "But did any of those guys know basic anatomy? Cause if you cut through certain places here and there," the man crouched down next to Dick's head, knife glinting from the small light above them. "Then you wouldn't be able to put weight on your legs again - wouldn't be able to use your arms."

And that made Dick pause. Depending on the people he was dealing with he wouldn't be too worried - but that was when he knew and more or less understood who they were working for. But when he was all but clueless in that regard? That was too high of a chance. So Dick shut his mouth, ignoring the livid cursing coming from Jason and the steady, controlled breathing from Tim. the concussion was a hassle to deal with and made it harder to think, but that wasn't about to stop him. 

"Hey man," that was goon number one. "You know you can't do anything permanent until the boss says so."

"That would be correct," a third voice said. And really, Dick's night just kept getting better and better. 

Charlie smiled coolly at Dick, eyes taking in his battered form. "After all, his buyer might want him to be able to move around."

Dick felt his blood run cold at that statement. They were planning on _selling_ him? On one hand he could kind of understand (he was Nightwing after all - he imagined there were a fair amount of people in the world who wanted their very own superhero), but on the other that was an act of pure stupidity on their part. Did they really think that whoever 'bought' him would be able to hold him down? Did they really think they'd even make it that far? Apparently they did, because there was no humor to be found in any of their faces.

"Go up to the front," Charlie instructed. "I'll stay here to keep our guests company," he said before sitting down on a bench attached to the side of the truck. The two henchmen shared a glance before leaving the back of the truck, closing the large doors behind them. Dick kept his eyes locked on Charlie during the time it took for the two men to get to the front of the truck and start driving away. he could feel the vehicle moving underneath him, and that was not good. The further they traveled the harder it would be for Jason and Tim to get to him and the kids safely, even if they were bats. The main reason? Dick had no doubt in his mind that they were being driven to a place that had more of Charlie's men, and without the element of surprise, getting in and out would be that much harder.

Dick's brain was moving a mile a minute trying to come up with different ways he could - at the very least - get the kids out of this situation. He'd done his best to try and see how many kids there were and how old they seemed to be, but it had been a little harder than usual what with his added distractions. Still, he had counted five kids ranging from about maybe 7 to 12. Three of them were definitely from the streets (Dick could tell just from the look in their eyes - Jason had the same look in his own), and two were either from poorer families or maybe even an orphanage. Point was, no one was going to really notice these kids were gone until it was too late, and a good amount of the GCPD that worked in the parts of the city like crime alley didn't care much about a missing persons case. It was a terrible fact, but a fact nonetheless.

However, where these kids came from was an advantage for Dick. Jason had once offhandedly mentioned some of the 'basic' knowledge that a kid growing up on Gotham's streets needed to learn, and two were subtly and lockpicking. Dick had a small set of tools that could be used to pick the lock on the cage that was holding the kids. They were all in one larger cage instead of the individual ones he had seen back at the manor's basement, but that seemed to be all the truck had - larger cages stacked on top of each other. Dick really wasn't complaining about that though, as it made everything that much easier. Assuming he could play the part of his self-appointed role, of course.

"So," the low drawl brought Dick's attention back to Charlie, the man who was currently the biggest threat. He had no doubts that the man had some kind of weapon on him, and being as beat up as he was, disarming him while avoiding serious injury to both himself and/or the kids remained low. Very low.

"Nightwing. I have to admit, I was hoping it would have been Red Hood that chased after us."

Dick heard the sharp intake of breath through his comms, but he wasn't sure if it came from Jason or Tim. Regardless, he knew he had been in the right to make Jason stay behind while he went after Charlie. 

"There would have been a lot of people wanting to buy him. Not that there won't be for you too, but...well, capturing Red Hood would mean that I would have been able to accomplish something that no one has managed to do as of yet."

Dick didn't like the grin Charlie was wearing, so he decided to wipe it off his face. "What, hold him captive for maybe a few hours? If that? I don't think you're giving Hood enough credit." Dick lowered his voice, a dangerous smile of his own spreading across his lips. "No one can control him - he would have gotten free before you even realized it." And maybe he was exaggerating a bit - Jason definitely would have blown something up during his escape, but his point still stands. Charlie may be smart, but he was a fool if he thought he could actually hold on to the Red Hood.

"No," Charlie breathed, leaning forward with no small amount of depraved amusement painted all over his face. "I wouldn't have sold him - he has a much more important role than that."

Dick absolutely hated certain aspects of being a vigilante. Listening to the bad guy's spiel was one of them, but what really pissed him off was when said spiels were about his family. _No one_ touched his family.

"Instead," Charlie continued, seeming to find more joy as the amount of anger in Dick's face grew. "I'd break him until he followed only _my_ orders. Can you imagine just how unstoppable I would be, having the Red Hood at my side? I would have taken his place as the leading crime lord, of course, but he would be my enforcer."

Dick didn't want to hear anymore. He didn't want to hear about this man's sick, twisted plans for Jason, about all the things he had been looking forward to doing to him. In all honestly, Dick was kind of glad that he had the injuries he did - they stopped him from getting out of his bonds and strangling the man in front of him. But he had to focus. Once again, Dick kept on his external mask of being pissed beyond belief. Internally (though he was still pissed), he calmed himself, cleared his head as best he could with the concussion and anger interfering. 

Okay, think. He had to get the lock picking set to the kids without Charlie noticing. Then he had to distract Charlie long enough so that the cage was open. Then...well, then he would have to roll with the punches.

"You talk an awfully big game," Dick snarled, not having to fake any of his anger as he wiggled in what seemed to be an attempt to sit up. In reality, he was moving so that he could position himself so that he was leaning against the cage. "But you and I both know that even with your sick fantasy, you wouldn't have been able to control Hood."

Charlie hummed. "You may be right, but still. I have my ways of breaking people's spirits." 

"Sure," Dick agreed, having finally managed to position himself in between Charlie and the cage. "Do your methods include talking to people until their ears bleed?" Dick was glad, in that moment, that his hands were tied behind his back. He was hoping that one of the kids would be brave and pissed enough to grab the small box that was hidden in a compartment on his right gauntlet. With his left hand he tapped the spot, hoping that they would get the message. He normally would have used a batarang to cut himself free, but his dislocated shoulder would make it difficult and obvious. So, this was his next best option.

Charlie frowned at him. "You know," he murmured. "I could say the same to you."

"I'll have you know that people love it when I talk - I can't imagine anyone likes hearing your voice though, except for maybe yourself."

Distantly Dick registered that Jason and Tim were talking to each other over the comm - he's pretty sure Tim was telling Jason about how Dick had had a bad feeling about Jason going after Charlie, but since it wasn't of that much importance at the moment, he decided to focus on what was happening in front of him instead.

"You make for some rather awful company, Nightwing," Charlie groused.

"Right back atcha," Dick responded with a nasty grin. Wally had once told him that the reason Nightwing was generally regarded as such a 'nice' vigilante was because it was rare for him to get truly angry - and because he was apparently a ray of sunshine compared to the rest of the bats. But he had a famous temper nonetheless, and in this moment, Dick knew that he would not be the 'nice' vigilante once he got out of his bonds. Wounded or not, he was going to make Charlie _hurt_. Jason or Tim could just try and stop him.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he felt a small hand cautiously feel around his gauntlet to try and find what he was pointing to. Dick then upped the trash talk, keeping all eyes on him as he guided that hand to the hidden pocket and to his lockpick set. It was a relief when the hand retreated, successfully holding on to the tools that could get them out of the cage. And now, the main show began.

"You know," Dick mused, a smile on his lips as he regarded Charlie's now pissed off expression. "I would have thought that a guy as smart as you would have aimed for someone else. Someone of a bit...lower profile, if you will? Because honestly, trying to get at anyone who wears a bat symbol is just asking for trouble." Not that there wouldn't be people (including him) ready to tear apart hell itself to find any of the other capes, but Batman always brought on a special kind of fear - especially if you had any relation to Gotham. It was that fear that Dick used quite often, especially with people who were new to the game. Charlie might talk big, but Dick knew that this was the furthest he's gotten - he could see it in his eyes. He also read it in the profile they had on him, but that was besides the point.

Charlie had yet to face off with Batman and everyone else in the family, and it wasn't hard to see that he had gotten arrogant in that time. That was a beneficial factor for Dick, but it could very well be Charlie's downfall - arrogance was usually what brought criminals to their knees.

"But I get it," Dick continued. "You must think you're all that, huh? I mean, living in a place like that? Can't really blame you."

Jason's voice then crackled through the comms. "I'm here, 'Wing."

"But you have to understand," a wide grin spread across Dick's lips. "That if you mess with anyone from Gotham, you mess with all of us." 

And as if on cue, Jason dropped down from the Batplane and onto the truck, about to unleash the fury of hell itself.

\--------

"That was a pretty good entrance line," Jason said, grunting slightly as he made his way to the passenger's side of the front of the truck. "I really felt it in my bones." 

He heard Dick grunt, followed by a thud and a muffled curse that he presumed to have come from Charlie. 

"It was pretty good, wasn't it?" Came his response. "The kids seemed to like it too - I don't think they're going to leave much of Charlie for the rest of us."

That made Jason paused for a moment before he used the side of his gun to break through the window, effectively wreaking havoc amongst the three henchmen. "The kids?"

"Yeah," Dick said with a snort. "I got one of them to take my lockpicking set, and they finished a lot quicker than I thought they were going to. Needless to say, they're pissed and letting it be known to the world."

Despite the circumstances, Jason couldn't help but let out a bark of laughter. "They gotta be crime alley kids," he said, grin hidden under his hood as he successfully knocked the first and second man out before climbing into the truck to take out the driver.

"Oh, they definitely are," Dick hummed. Jason heard the elder grunt, followed by a quiet sigh. He had probable just gotten out of his bonds, which was perfect for Jason as he just got control of the truck and was pulling it over.

"Well, tell the gremlins to knock it off," He said, putting the truck in park. "I'm gonna tie these guys up and then I'm grabbing that son of a bitch and teaching him a lesson."

Dick snorted again. "Honestly, if he didn't learn his lesson after being beaten up by a group of kids, then he never will." And Jason did have to admit, that was a fair point. Still, he had heard everything Charlie had said, and he was not taking that lightly. 

"Fair, but my point still stands." Jason left the three unconscious men tied up by the front tire of the truck before heading to the back, opening the doors wide as soon as he unlocked them. The sight he was greeted with was...something else indeed.

Dick - for all that had happened that night - was sitting with his back against a cage, a pleased grin on his lips as he watched the kids stand up and move away from Charlie. And honestly? Jason didn't know what he had been expecting Charlie to look like, but those kids must be able to hit _hard_. He took one glance at them and he understood. The eldest - about 12, maybe even 13 - was honestly pretty large for his age, especially when considering how he was living on the streets. But that face told him just what that kid must have had to do to stay alive, something that resonated deep within Jason. The other kids had similar looks, but it was fairly easy to tell that the eldest had done most of the work. And honestly, good for him.

Jason turned his gaze back to Dick, noting that his arms were free but his legs were still bound together. "What's the damage?" He asked, stepping into the back of the truck. He noticed that the kids eyed him warily for a moment before recognition set in. After all, it was pretty common knowledge that the Red Hood gave as much as he could to the homeless and poor.

"Well," Dick sighed, "I know for sure my one shoulder is dislocated, probably have a cracked rib or two, ankle is all kinds of messed up, and I'm like, 98% sure that I have a concussion." He heard Time mutter something about how Dick was a moron, and honestly, Jason had to agree. But the lecture could wait until all the kids were safe and Charlie and his men were dealt with.

"The cops are already at the mansion," Jason responded. "I left the flash drive with everything on it, and everything else they should need to put these guys away. I'll call 'em over here so we can get the rest of these assholes sorted out and get the kids somewhere safe?"

Dick nodded, a smile on his lips. "That sounds good." Just then Charlie started moving, as if he was trying to sneak away - as if Jason would allow that to happen.

"So," Jason started, purposefully heavy footsteps making their way over to the beaten man. The kids scrambled out of his way, hovering closer to Dick as Jason crouched down in front of their kidnapper. "I hear you had some pretty grand plans, huh?" He said quietly. Jason found some amount of joy in the way fear filled Charlie's face. It was good - the man had every right to be scared.

"Well," he continued in a low voice, shifting his jacket so that the other could see just what kinds of weapons Jason had on him. "It's too bad for you that those plans will never happen, ain't it?" And god, did Jason want to kill him. The man in front of him was absolutely sick, and the idea of letting him walk away made him want to punch something. But still, even if he couldn't kill him, that didn't mean he didn't have ways of making him suffer and wish he was dead.

"I'll tell you what, Charlie," Jason whispered, the voice module in his helmet barely picking up his words. "I'll let some of my buddies in jail know that you're coming. They'll give you a nice welcome, yeah?" And oh, maybe he shouldn't find so much pleasure in seeing the realization of what was going to happen cross Charlie's face, but he couldn't help it.

"Because the thing is," He said, grabbing Charlie's collar and yanking him closer. "Killing you would be too simple - too merciful. So I'm only going to make you wish you were dead instead." Jason knew that no one could see the feral grin under his helmet, but he knew that his general vibe was getting across. And honestly, he had said his piece - it was time to take out the trash.

"Red Robin?" He said, louder this time as he stood up. Charlie struggled to follow, as Jason was still holding on to his shirt.

 _"Whatever could I help you with now?"_ Brat.

"You call the cops yet?" And wow, Jason could literally _hear_ Tim rolling his eyes.

_"Yes, I did. Their ETA is about 10 minutes."_

"Fantastic."

_"I'm just the best, aren't I?"_

"Nah, that's oracle."

Jason heard Dick chuckle from both the comms and from behind him, the noise prompting him to turn around. The elder was grinning to himself as he slowly cut through the tape around his legs, the smile dropping to a wince after he accidentally jostled his leg. Jason decided to first make sure Charlie and his guys wouldn't be getting away any time soon, then make sure all the kids were accounted for and together, and then he would come back to help Dick. Dick seemed to read his mind and agree, because he offered Jason a smile and nodded to the door. Jason tilted his head at Dick in response before dragging Charlie out of the truck to complete his primary tasks.

\--------

The rest of the process was pretty standard, all things considered. Jason and Dick waited until the cops arrived before getting into the Batplane (after checking in on all the kids first, of course). Once they felt that the police had the situation under control, they started up the plane and headed back to Gotham. Once, of course, they snuck back into the hotel to grab their things. It was pretty handy that the Batplane was able to conceal itself like it did - it made the whole trip that much easier.

"The Captain said that those guys would be facing punishments from their jurisdiction and from Gotham," Dick said as he leaned back in the co-pilot's chair. Tim had said he would be going offline to help Alfred get the med bay set up once they had taken off, and Jason had put the plane on autopilot so that he could get a better idea of the extent of Dick's injuries. "They also said that they were gonna drive the kids back to Gotham to see if they could find any family members. Not sure if they'll be able to, but- ow!"

"Oh shut up you big baby," Jason muttered under his breath. But even so, he inspected Dick's ankle with more gentleness then he had been using before.

"You're so mean," Dick whined, and Jason didn't have to look up to know that the elder was pouting. The knowledge brought a small smile to his lips before he pushed it away, standing up with a sigh. 

"It's broken, not fractured," he said as he leaned against the side of the pilot's chair. "And sure, I admit to that - but the demon brat is much worse than me."

"Don't call him that Jay," Dick said, but Jason could see the lingering amusement in his eyes. And honestly, he found himself staring at those beautiful blues longer then he would care to admit. The only thing that made it kind of okay was that Dick was doing the exact same thing.

"Hey Jason?" Dick whispered after a beat, as if talking any louder would be shattering whatever moment they were having.

"Yeah?" Jason found himself talking in the same quiet tone, but he wasn't totally sure why. Regardless, there was something different in that moment - something that he couldn't quite put his finger on - that made him want to do everything to avoid breaking the spell they seemed to have fallen under.

"There um," Dick paused, glancing away for a moment and licking his lips before looking back at Jason. "There's this new restaurant by my apartment - nothing really fancy, but the food is good. Would you uh, wanna go with me? Sometime this week maybe?"

And Jason had to pause for a moment, because what? They had dinner together more and more often as of late, but that was always while they were in their uniforms and on some random rooftop. But this? This sounded almost like-

"On a date," Dick clarified, cheeks turning a bit red as he averted is gaze to the control panel of the plane. "Just in case that wasn't clear."

Jason felt his own cheeks heat up as he opened and closed his mouth in a rather impressive imitation of a fish. Because yes, he absolutely wanted to, but was this actually happening? Did he hear Dick right? Or was this some prank that-

 _"Oh my goood,"_ Tim's voice came through the Batplane's speakers, making both Dick and Jason jolt slightly. _"Just answer him already, or else I'll do it for you."_

Fuck - Jason _knew_ that little shit hadn't gone offline!

The declaration made Dick raise an eyebrow, but before he could ask the question forming on his lips, Jason found himself blurting out a yes. Dick's head snapped back over to him, intense blue eyes focused on Jason and it was all he could really do to repeat himself.

"Yeah, I'd. I'd like that." 

And god, watching the smile form on Dick's lips was like watching the sun coming through a mass of clouds. The two must have just been staring and smiling for longer then they thought, because Tim's voice broke through their moment once more. 

_"God, this really_ is _like a soap opera. Well done guys, that was great. Oh, and by the way - I totally told you so."_

Jason felt his eye twitch before he started yelling, cheeks red as he threated Tim with everything under the sun. Dick, the asshole, only laughed as he listened to the two go back and forth. But the content smile on his lips made Jason's insides turn to mush, and he knew that he would endure all sorts of teasing if only it would keep that smile right where it should be.

Laughing internally, Jason couldn't help but smile - he could really get used to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My hands hurt from how fast I was typing this lmao
> 
> But anyways, we're done! And since I've finished this piece, well. Y'all know what's coming next ;)
> 
> Thanks for reading guys, and I hope you enjoyed this!


End file.
